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THE  UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

LIBRARY 


THE  WILMER  COLLECTION 

OF  CIVIL  WAR  NOVELS 

PRESENTED  BY 

RICHARD  H.  WILMER,  JR. 


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c9  /  4  -iA'-MOuy-iit  f^^U^^ 


Digitized  by  tine  Internet  Arcliive 

in  2010  with  funding  from 

University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


http://www.archive.org/details/cruisingbloGkadiOOwins 


A  Naval  Story  of  tte  Late  War. 


£UhmKEiB\¥}M.2i^ 


W.  H.  WINSLOW.  M.D.,Ph.D. 


^Libera  terra  liherqite  animus." 


PITTSBURGH,    PA.: 
PUBLISHED  BY  J.  R.  WELDIN  &  CO. 

1885. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1884, 

By  W.  H.  WINSLOW, 

In  the  Office  of  the  Librarian  of  Congress,  at  Washington,  D.  C. 


SHERMAN"  4  CO.,  PRINTERS, 
PHII.ADA. 


PREFACE. 


This  book  contains  an  exact  description  of  life  in  the  United 
States  Navy  during  the  rebellion,  and  traces  the  career  of  an 
officer  from  midshipman  to  lieutenant. 

The  author  believes  that  in  other  modern  naval  stories  per- 
sonal thoughts  and  actions  and  the  minor  matters  of  life  in 
the  navy  have  not  been  adequately  described,  and  he  has  en- 
deavored from  his  experience  and  his  diary  of  the  war  to  make 
an  instructive,  interesting  and  amusing  story. 

To  his  critics,  the  boys,  both  young  and  old,  he  offers  the 
labors  of  a  winter's  evenings,  serenely  confident  that,  if  the 
book  is  not  a  success,  it  will  at  least  save  him  many  repetitions 
of  the  adventures  therein  to  his  own  boys  at  home. 

W.  H.  W. 

956  Penn  Ave.,  Pittsburgh,  Pa. 


50^1^6 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  Careswell's  early  life — Appointment  to  the  Naval  Academy, .  9 

II.  The  Naval  Academy  before  the  war — The  Practice  Ship — 

Ordered  to  the  U.  S.  S.  Nautilus, 16 

III.  Philadelphia  in  war  times — ^The  good  ship  Nautilus — Putting 

the  ship  in  commission, 26 

IV.  Sailing  day — Sealed  orders— Hampton  Roads — The  Congress 

and  Cumberland — Norfolk— Longstreet  at  Suffolk — War  in 

earnest, 40 

V.  The  conquered  city  and  people — Insults — Revived  hopes — 
Virginia  money — Rebel  literature — The  Confederate  alpha- 
bet— Growlers, 49 

VI.  At  sea— Confederate  account  of  the  Hampton  Roads  fight — 
Cliase  of  the  Florida— The  first  prize— The  norther— Old 

Brenneman, 64 

VII.  Land  ho  ! — Havana — Fights  with  blockade-runners — Moro 
Castle — The  mysterious  shot— The  blockade-runner  Vic- 
toria,      81 

VIII.  Stopped  by  Moro — The  chase  and  capture  -The  Florida  Keys 

— Rio  coffee — George  Washington's  cranium,      ...         95 

IX.  Madam  Fontana's  party — Turtlers — How  to  eat  an  orange — 
Kingfishers,  conchs  and  sponges — The  Queen  of  the  Conchs 

— Sailor's  sports, 107 

X.  Chase  of  the  Mississippi — Capture  of  the  Fanchon — Gone  to 
Davy  Jones'  locker — The  strange  schooner — Careswell's 
story— The  Victoria  Regia, 121 

XI.  The  coast  of  Florida — A  paradise  for  sportsmen — Florida 
regulators — Sanlxirn's  disaster — A  cutting-out  expedition — 
Taking  a  fort — A  midnight  raid — Rough  reception — The 
supply  steamer — Distributing  the  mail,  ....  137 
XII.  A  wardroom  reception — Orange  flowers — An  Irishman's  fall 
— Bloss'  aunt — A  naval  receipt — Steering  a  brig — Total 
eclipse  of  the  sun — An  emetic— Buttons'  whiskey — The 
explosion — The  ship's  donkey — Fire  in  the  fore-hold,  .       159 


8  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XIII.  The  tender,  Rosalie — A  rebel  attack — Old  Harrington's  no- 

tions— Trip  to  Key  West — Promotion — The  refugee  soldiers 
— Attack  on  Fort  Myers — Quarter-deck  gossip — Asleep  on 
watch, 170 

XIV.  Growling  at  the    caterer — Pelican    stew — Salvini's    offer — 

Struck  by  lightning — The  Tampa  expedition — Steerage 
sport — Short,  spirited  drills — The  stolen  shoes — The  court- 
martial— Gophers,         183 

XV.  The  relief— Key  West  again — The  party  aboard  ship — Ave  ' 

Maria — General  quarters — Good  night,        ....       195 
XVI.  Homeward    bound — Water-spouts— Sunday    inspection — My 
native  land — The  Captain's  speech — Out  of  commission — 
Bitter-sweet  thoughts  on  watch 203 


CRUISING  AND  BLOCKADING. 


CHAPTER  I. 


Harry  Careswell  was  born  on  the  New  England  sea- 
coast.  His  paternal  ancestors  could  be  traced  back  in  historic 
pages  to  those  hardy  pilgrims,  who  established  a  home  upon 
the  bleak  hills  of  Plvniouth,  in  the  piercing  winds  of  Decem- 
ber, 1620. 

Harry's  father  had  lived  and  worked  upon  a  farm  and 
attended  school  during  the  winters,  in  a  little  yellow  school- 
house  upon  the  hill  a  mile  away,  until  his  desire  to  know 
more  of  books  and  men  and  the  great  world,  induced  him  to 
go  to  a  neighboring  town,  where  he  found  employment  as  a 
clerk  in  a  general  store.  Here  he  worked  by  day  and  studied 
by  night,  saving  his  wages  carefully,  until  he  was  able  to  enter 
one  of  the  New  England  colleges,  from  which  he  graduated 
so  well,  that  he  was  offered  the  chair  of  English  Language  and 
Literature.  He  preferred  to  teach  a  country  school  during  the 
winter,  and  to  pursue  the  study  of  architecture,  for  which  he 
had  a  great  liking,  during  the  rest  of  the  year  in  the  city  of 
Boston.  After  some  years,  he  settled  in  the  same  town  where 
he  had  been  a  clerk,  and  carried  on  the  business  of  an  archi- 
tect, though  he  still  kept  up  his  nomadic  habit  of  teaching  a 
country  school  in  winter  when  the  heavy  snows  of  that  climate 
prevented  all  buihling  operations. 

The  leading  merchant  of  this  town  was  of  pure  Dutch  de- 
scent, an  honest,  able,  courageous  man,  who  had  crossed  and 
recrossed  the  ocean  many  times  upon  his  commercial  ventures. 
He  was  proud  of  his  enterprise,  his  warehouses  and  ships,  but 
prouder  still  of  his  English  wife  and  his  seven  beautiful  chil- 
dren. He  felt  that,  "  whosoever  commands  the  sea,  commands 
the  trade  of  the  world  ;  who-ioever  commands  the  trade  of  the 


10  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

world,  commands  tlie  riches  of  the  world,  and  consequently, 
the  world  itself;"  l>ut  the  sea,  the  riches  of  the  world,  and 
the  world  itself,  were  only  the  means  whereby  he  could  edu- 
cate his  family  and  give  them  a  luxurious  home,  and  he  lav- 
ished his  money  for  these  objects.  His  children  were  given 
the  best  education  attainable,  and  his  home  was  adorned  by 
curiosities  and  treasures  of  art,  brought  to  him  by  his  ships 
irom  distant  parts  of  the  world. 

The  young  teacher-architect  had  been  in  this  great  mer- 
chant's employment  and  confidence ;  he  had  entered  his  charm- 
ing family  circle,  and  fallen  deeply  in  love  with  one  of  the 
daughters.  He  was  looked  kindly  upon  by  her,  but  he  felt 
there  was  too  great  a  difference  between  their  positions  in  life, 
that  he  must  win  fame  and  competence,  before  he  could  ask 
her  to  be  his  wife.     He  worked,  watched  and  waited. 

A  great  commercial  crisis  came;  business  cares  multiplied, 
became  oppressive,  crushing;  the  great  merchant's  health  gave 
way ;  he  involved  his  affairs  in  confusion,  and  sank  into  a 
fever  which  terminated  his  life.  The  former  trusted  clerk  was 
em|)loyed  to  take  charge  of  the  disordered  business.  He  put 
to  fliglit  the  rascals,  who  had  taken  advantage  of  their  princi- 
pal's feebleness  to  rob  him  ;  fought  step  by  step  the  cormorants, 
who  had  seized  upon  the  assets  by  false  and  fraudulent  claims, 
and  succeeded  in  clearing  and  saving  a  slender  estate  for  the 
family. 

The  eldest  daughter  had  materially  assisted  the  young  archi- 
tect in  settling  up  affairs,  as  she  had  been  her  Other's  favorite 
and  confidante.  The  daily  intercourse  had  increased  his  love 
and  admiration  for  her,  and  revealed  to  her  that  she  could  not 
be  happy  without  him.  It  was  a  true  love  match,  and,  one 
year  later,  they  were  married. 

Harry  Careswell  was  the  first-born  of  this  union.  He  grew 
to  be  a  well  developed,  shapely  lad,  with  brown  hair  and 
eyes,  and  a  graceful  and  energetic  movement,  and  took  great 
pleasure  in  all  kinds  of  athletic  sports. 

Harry  was  not  particularly  brilliant  at  school.  The  objects 
and  incidents  of  the  busy  world  attracted  his  attention,  now 
here,  now  there,  and  led  his  mind  from  the  pursuit  of  knowl- 
edge in  books  to  studies  in  nature;  but  he  managed  to  gradu- 
ate at  the  High  School  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  11 

His  curriculum  of  studies  embraced  much  more  tlian  those 
ordaiue<l  bv  the  very  efficient  school-boards  of  New  England. 
He  knew  every  hill  and  valley,  field  and  forest,  brook  and 
lake,  within  ten  miles  of  his  native  city.  He  knew  where  the 
best  berries  and  beech-nuts  grew,  the  squirrels  were  most 
numerous,  the  rabbits  had  their  hiding  ])laces,  and  the  flocks 
of  partridges  hid  in  the  dark,  damp  copses.  He  could  tell  a 
chub  from  a  perch,  a  trout  from  a  pickerel,  and  a  flounder 
from  a  sculpin,  the  moment  one  seized  his  hook.  He  had 
rowed,  sailed,  fished  and  skated  over  all  the  neighboring  ponds 
and  the  beautiful  bay  near  his  home,  and  had  followed  every 
stream  around,  from  its  source,  through  woods  and  fields, 
until  it  broadened  in  the  sunny  meadows,  and  furnished  poor 
fishiug,  but  excellent  wading-places  for  the  lazy  cows.  He 
delighted  to  roam  along  shore,  to  gather  queer  stones  and 
shells,  to  have  clam-bakes  by  driftwood  fires,  and  to  spend 
hours  and  days  in  swimming,  and  boating,  and  climbing  over 
the  schooners,  brigs  and  ships,  that  were  always  lying  at  the 
wharves  in  the  harbor.  He  had  inherited  one  grandfather's 
love  of  rural  scenes,  and  the  other's  love  of  adventure  and 
fearlessness  of  the  sea,  and  wished  to  become  a  sailor.  It  is 
not  surprising  that  the  greatest  business  of  his  native  city, 
that  of  ship-building  antl  maritime  commerce,  attracted  Harry's 
attention.  His  parents  had  other  hopes  for  him,  however, 
and  set  liim  to  work  to  prepare  for  college.  He  said  all  he 
could  against  it,  droned  over  his  classics,  and  slipped  away  to 
the  woods  or  the  vessels  whenever  he  had  an  opportunity,  but 
his  parents  kept  the  one  object  in  view,  and  made  him  very 
unhappy.  They  were  awakened  to  their  folly  one  afternoon 
rather  painfully.  A  great  ship  was  to  sail  for  New  Orleans, 
and  one  of  Harry's  playmates  brought  them  the  intelligence 
that  Harry  was  going  in  her.  His  father  went  to  the  vessel 
and  learned  that  Harry  had  shipped  as  a  boy  before  the  mast, 
and  already  had  some  of  his  clothes  on  board.  The  parents 
were  shocked  and  terribly  grieved,  and  sought  to  change 
Harry's  desire  to  adopt  such  a  rough  life;  but  he  was  sullen 
and  rebellious,  and  told  them,  if  they  did  not  let  him  go  then, 
he  would  go  some  day ;  so  with  many  misgivings  and  tears, 
they  finally  consented  to  let  him  make  the  voyage,  and  fitted 
him  out  in  a  comfortable  manner. 


12  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

Harry  was  delighted,  and  showed  his  affection  for  his  father 
and  mother  in  so  many  ways,  that  their  forebodings  and  heart- 
aclies  were  in  part  assuaged.  When  the  time  came  for  him  to 
leave,  he  felt  so  badly  that  he  wished  he  could  remain  at  home, 
but  he  was  too  proud  to  recede,  and,  taking  Good-bye  kisses, 
he  choked  back  his  sobs,  pulled  his  hat  down  to  hide  his  tears, 
and  went  on  board  the  good  ship  Heron.  He  immediately 
joined  the  sailors  in  getting  up  anchor  and  making  things 
ready  for  sea.  He  knew  all  the  gear  of  a  ship  and  made  him- 
self "so  useful,  that  he  was  soon  upon  good  terms  with  the 
sailors  and  officers.  The  sails  were  spread  one  by  one,  the 
bowsprit  was  pointed  seaward,  a  lively  breeze  filled  the  snowy 
canvas,  the  noble  ship  sped  on  her  course,  and  long  before 
sunset,  the  salt  sea  mists  had  blotted  out  the  last  headland  that 
marl^ed  the  bay  before  Harry's  native  city.  ^ 

Harry  and  another  boy  had  a  little  room  adjoining  the 
cook's  galley  where  they  kept  their  sea-chests  and  slept;  but 
they  took  their  "  grub  "  with  the  other  sailors  in  the  forecastle, 
in  the  forward  part  of  the  same  deck-house.  One  boy  was 
put  in  the  port  watch  and  the  other  in  the  starboard,  and  their 
duties  were  many,  onerous  and  perilous.  The  highest  climb- 
ing fell  to  their  lot.  The  royals,  the  highest  square  sails  upon 
the  masts,  were  loosed,  furled  and  kept  in  order  by  them. 
They  were  obliged  to  scrape,  and  grease  or  paint  the  highest 
spars;  to  ride  down  in  a  boatswain's  chair  and  tar  the  highest 
ropes;  to  repair  the  chafings  and  secure  mats  upon  the  stays, 
in  the  giddiest  and  most  inaccessible  places ;  to  accompany  the 
other  sailors  in  loosing,  reefing  and  furling  the  heavy  sails; 
to  hold  the  turn  or  bear  a  hand  in  all  pulling  and  hauling 
ropes;  to  help  wash  the  decks,  paint  the  hull,  steer'the  ship, 
row  the  boats  in  harbor,  and  pound  the  iron-rust  from  the 
cables  and  anchors.  When  there  was  nothing  else  to  do, 
blocks  had  to  be  strapped,  ropes  knotted  and  spliced,  and  old 
hemp  rope  picked  into  oakum — the  latter,  the  usual  employ- 
ment for  rainy  days  and  Sundays.  The  sailor's  command- 
ment is  different  from  the  one  in  the  Bible.     It  is, 

"Six  (lavs  slialt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thou  art  able  ; 
The  seventh  day,  wash  down  decks  and  scour  the  cable." 

The  merchant  Sailor  before  the  mast  has  a  laborious,  un- 
comfortable and  dangerous  life.     He  swings  through  the  air 


A    XAVAL  STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  13 

high  above  the  ship  upon  a  slender  spav  or  rope,  sometimes  tra- 
versing an  angle  of  forty-five  degrees,  as  the  ship  rolls  in  a  heavy 
sea,  clinging  with  feet  and  one  hand  for  life,  while  the  other 
hand  works  for  his  master.  He  battles  to  secure  stiflp,  heavy, 
})prhaps  icy  sails,  that  are  slatting  around  before  a  rising  gale, 
ill  imminent  danger  of  being  knocked  overboard.  He  holds 
on  to  rail  and  ropes,  as  the  heavy  seas  dash  over,  and  works 
in  wet  clothes  and  sleeps  in  a  wet  bunk  sometimes  for  weeks 
together.  He  gets  poor  food  and  poor  wages ;  he  is  often 
cursed  and  knocked  about  by  the  officers,  and  works  as  hard 
in  loading  and  discharging  cargo  as  a  dock  laborer.  He  is 
exposed  to  frigid,  and  pestilential  climates;  to  the  dangers  of 
the  sea,  and  to  the  perils  of  immorality  that  surround  him 
whenever  he  sets  his  foot  on  shore. 

These  hardships  and  dangers  are  little  considered  by  the 
sentimental  landsman,  who  sees  a  beautiful  ship  moving  over 
the  shallow  waves  of  a  harbor,  or  watches  her  gentle  rise  and 
fall  upon  the  puny  billows  of  the  sea-coast  on  a  summer's  day. 

Rough  countries  and  climates  develop  sturdy,  energetic 
men,  and*  none  other  can  endure  the  hardships  and  face  the 
dangers  of  the  sea  successfully.  Harry  was  a  product  of  the 
New  England  sea-coast,  whence  come  the  best  and  bravest 
sailors  in  the  world,  and  he  did  not  shirk  his  duty,  nor  suffer 
his  moral  character  to  be  contaminated  by  his  associates.  His 
lessons  of  truth  and  virtue  had  been  well  taught  by  good 
parents,  and  he  passed  unscathed  through  fourteen  months  of 
life  before  the  mast.  The  ship  made  several  voyages  during 
this  period,  nearly  foundered  in  a  gale  off  Newfoundland, 
lost  a  deck-load  of  timber  in  a  hurrieane  off  Bermuda,  spilled 
a  deck-load  of  molasses  into  the  sea  off  the  coast  of  Cuba,  and 
was  finally  wrecked  u])on  the  iron-bound  coast  of  Maine. 

Harry  was  saved,  and  was  greeted  as  a  hero  by  his  native 
city.  He  had  become  wiser  and  better,  and  had  lost  his  desire 
to  be  a  merchant  sailor.  He  laid  aside  his  blue  shirt  and  pea- 
jacket,  cleaned  the  tar  stains  from  his  calloused  hands,  and 
spent  the  next  eight  months  in  reading  law. 

A  vacancy  at  the  Naval  Academy  was  to  be  filled  by  the 
Congressman  of  Harry's  district.  The  Hon.  Mr.  About  said 
one  day  to  Mr.  Cares  well :  "  Your  son  has  grit.  I  like  his 
ways.     He  has  given  evidence  of  courage  and  ability.     He 


14  CKUISING    AND    BLOCKADIlsG. 

fame  liome  after  several  voyages  and  a  shijDwreok,  laid  aside 
liis  sailor  dress,  and  settled  down  to  quiet  pursuits.  He  lias 
no  bad  habits,  and  no  one  would  know  from  his  manners  or 
conversation  that  he  had  ever  been  a  sailor.  I  should  like  to 
appoint  him  to  the  Naval  Academy." 

Mr.  Careswell  thanked  him  for  the  good  opinion  of  his  son 
and  his  kind  offer,  and  said  he  would  consult  Harry  upcm  the 
subject.  Harry  was  delighted  with  the  idea  of  being  a  mid- 
shipman, and  went  to  call  upon  his  Congressman. 

The  matter  was  soon  arranged,  and  Harry  prepared  for 
examination.  He  received  an  official  document,  with  a  pon- 
derous seal,  from  the  Navy  Department,  in  August,  which 
directed  him  to  rei>ort  on  a  certain  date  to  the  Commandant 
of  Midi-hipmen,  at  the  Naval  Academy,  Annapolis,  Maryland, 
for  examination.  He  presented  himself  there  before  a  board 
of  naval  officers,  resj)leudent  in  gold  lace,  broiized  and  gray, 
kind  but  critical,  and  passed  the  physical  and  mental  exami- 
nations easily  and  successfully. 

He  was  assigned  a  room  in  Building  No.  1,  with  a  middy 
from  New  York  State;  changed  his  civilian  dress  for  the 
cadet  uniform;  got  his  books  from  the  store-keeper,  and  set- 
tled down  into  the  regular  routine  life  of  the  Academy. 

One  day  he  received  the  following  document: 

"  Navy  Depaetjient,  Seplember,  I80-. 
"Sir: 

"  You  are  hereby  appointed  an  Acting  Midshipman  in  tlie  Navy  of  the 
United  States  from  the  10th  day  of  September,  185-. 

"If,  after  the  course  of  attendance  at  the  Naval  Academy,  prescribed 
by  tlie  Revised  Regulations,  approved  .January  25, 1855.  you  shall  satisfac- 
torily pass  the  graduating  examination,  you  will  receive  from  the  Academic 
Board  the  'certificate  of  graduation,'  referred  to  in  the  5th  section  of  the 
(Ith  chapter  of  the  above  Regulations,  which  shall  entitle  you  to  a  Warrant. 
as  a  Midshipman  in  the  United  States  Navy,  bearing  the  date  of  the  cer- 
tificate. If,  however,  you  shall  fail  to  obtain  such  certificate,  you  will  be 
d)-op))ed  from  the  list. 

"Enclosed  is  a  copy  of  the  requisite  oath,  which  when  taken  and  sub- 
scribed, you  will  transmit  to  the  Department  with  your  letter  of  accept- 
ance, in  which  you  will  state  your  age. 

"  I  am.  respectfully, 

"  Your  obedient  servant, 
"  Isaac  Toucey, 

"Secretary  of  the  Navy. 
"  Acting  Midshipman 

"Harry  Careswell, 

"  From  the  Third  Cong.  Dist.  of  M." 


A    ^AVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  J  5 

Harry  took  the  oath  to  support  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  and  became  a  regular  officer  of  the  Navy.  Tlie 
four  classes  of  the  institution  were  divided  into  sections;  the 
professors  arranged  their  recitations ;  the  hours  for  study,  drill 
and  recreation  were  promulgated  by  the  officers,  and  the  new 
life  began  in  earnest. 


16  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 


CHAPTER  II. 


The  beautiful  campus  of  the  Academy  lay  upon  the  right 
bank  of  the  Severn  river  and  fronted  upon  Chesapeake  Bay. 
The  two  sides  towards  the  water  were  faced  by  a  sea-wall  at 
the  level  of  the  ground.  The  two  towards  the  city  were 
limited  by  a  high  wall,  pierced  by  a  guarded  iron  gate.  Thus 
middies  were  kept  in  and  civilians  out.  Special  permission 
was  necessary  to  pass  the  guard.  Freedom  gained  by  the 
water  way  depended  upon  the  tide  or  a  boat,  and  was  indulged 
in  at  considerable  danger  of  discovery. 

The  buildings  within  the  walls  consisted  of  dwellings  for 
the  officers;  dormitories  for  the  middies;  a  large  recitation- 
hall  of  many  rooms,  including  the  mess-hall  and  kitchen  ;  an 
astronomical  observatory  ;  a  hospital ;  a  chapel ;  several  store- 
houses ;  a  boat-house;  an  armory  ;  a  laboratory  ;  a  gas  manu- 
factory, and  several  minor  structures.  A  small  fort  of  twelve 
guns  occupied  the  corner  of  the  campus  towards  the  bay,  and 
a  wharf  to  its  left  projected  out  into  the  Severn  river.  The 
grounds  were  smooth,  and  shaded  along  the  walks  by  trees. 
A  beautiful  monument  near  the  observatory  honored  the 
memory  of  the  hero,  Lieut.  Ilerndon,  who  w-ent  down  with 
his  ship,  after  he  had  given  every  chance  of  rescue  to  his 
passengers  and  crew.  A  fleet  of  boats  and  one  yacht  dimpled 
the  waters  of  the  Severn  at  the  boat  house,  and  the  distant 
hanks  of  the  river  and  bay  fringed  a  beautiful  country  of  val- 
ley, hill  and  forest. 

No  lovelier  or  more  salubrious  spot  could  be  selected  for  a 
home  for  students,  nor  one  better  adapted  to  the  requirements 
of  a  naval  school.  Harry  was  in  love  with  it  from  the  first, 
and  performed  all  his  duties  with  earnestness  and  zeal.  These 
were  not  light  by  any  means,  and  they  severely  taxed  him 
physically  and  mentally.  In  those  days,  the  middy  arose  at 
sunrise  to  the  stormy  music  of  the  drum  and  fife,  calling  the 
"reveille;"  swept  his  room;  made  his  bed;  finished  his  toilet; 
reported  at  roll-call  on  parade  upon  the  portico  in  front  of  the 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  17 

mess-liall,  and  marched  to  prayers  in  the  ehapel.  He  then 
returned  to  the  portico  and  marched  into  the  mess-hall  to 
breakfast.  Eaclf- table  in  the  mess-hall  was  occupied  by  a 
gun's  crew,  as  detailed  at  the  fort,  and  the  captain  of  the  gun, 
a  first  classman,  sat  at  the  liead  and  kept  order,  A  half  hour 
was  allowed  for  the  meal,  and  then  a  short  time  was  spent  in 
any  way  the  cadets  chose.  Study  and  recitations  began  at  8 
A.M.,  and  continued  till  1  P.M. — the  classes  assembling  at  the 
call  of  the  bugle. 

The  drum  and  fife  played  the  familiar  tune  of  "roast  beef" 
at  1  o'clock,  when  the  students  formed  parade  quickly  and 
marched  to  dinner.  Study  and  recitation  began  again  at  2 
and  continued  till  4.15  o'clock,  then  the  drum  and  fife  called 
to  quarters,  and  there  was  a  drill  in  small-sword,  broad-sword, 
infantry  or  field  artillery  till  5.30  or  6  p.m.  At  6.30,  roll-call 
and  parade  were  followed  by  a  half  hour  supper;  study  began 
at  7  and  ended  at  9.30,  and  "taps"  of  the  drum,  at  10  P.M., 
warned  every  midshipman  to  extinguish  his  lights  and  go  to 
l)ed.  This  was  the  regular  routine  every  day  except  Saturday 
and  Sunday. 

Saturday,  study  ceased  at  10  A.M.,  the  drum  beat  to  quar- 
ters at  10.15,  the  midshipmen  manned  the  guns  in  the  fort, 
and  fired  at  a  target  of  timber  and  canvas,  a  mile  distant  out 
in  the  bay,  until  12  M.  They  spent  the  next  hour  in  getting 
new  books,  clothes,  etc.,  at  the  store-house,  went  to  dinner  at 
the  usual  time,  and  used  the  balance  of  the  afternoon  and 
evening  in  recreation — half  of  them  going  out  in  the  city  on 
leave  alternate  weeks.  Saturday  evening  was  the  joUiest  time 
of  the  whole  week.  The  band  played  in  the  fencing-hall  for 
the  middies  to  dance  with  each  other;  leave  fellows  came  in 
from  town  with  taffy,  oyster-patties,  cake,  wine  and  cigars, 
and  inaugurated  little  sup|)er-|)arties  in  out-of-the  way  places, 
and  card-parties  were  formed  and  pipes  lighted,  while  a  faith- 
ful watch  was  kept  for  the  officer-of-the-day,  who,  in  many 
cases,  be  it  said  to  his  honor,  kept  him.self  in  his  office.  Taps 
were  not  heard  in  the  social  din  or  were  ignored ;  darkness 
reigned;  but  quiet  stories,  smothered  laughter  and  glowing 
pipes,  showed  where  the  groups  were  shrouded  in  their  me- 
phitic,  nicotine  vapors;  shadowy  forms  moved  around  the 
campus  and  sped  swiftly  away  at  the  approach  of  a  watch- 


18  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

man,  and,  down  upon  tlie  sea-wall,  a  long  line  of  dark,  loung- 
ing forms  bordered  the  placid  waters  and  shook  their  tell-tale 
ashes  into  the  briny  river. 

The  Naval  Academy  was  officially  asleep  at  10  p.m.,  but 
the  middies  of  the  institution  were  communing  with  kindred 
spirits  and  the  stars,  and  building  visionary  fabrics  of  future 
glory  till  long  past  midniglit.  Who  that  has  been  there  can 
ever  forget  those  hours  wrenched  from  despotism  and  stolen 
from  sleep?  Who  can  ever  forget  the  officers-of-the-day,  who 
assumed  the  beds  were  all  filled  in  the  dormitories,  and  scorned 
to  play  sneaking  detectives  with  their  subjects?  Generations 
of  midshipmen  remember  and  love  them,  and  generations  yet 
to  come  will  have  the  same  debts  to  pay,  for  Yankee  middies 
change  not  as  the  world  changes. 

Sunday  was  well  kept  by  the  midshipmen.  After  break- 
fast, every  one  dressed  in  full  uniform,  then  the  whole  corps 
was  inspected  by  the  executive  lieutenant  in  charge,  at  11  a.m., 
and  marched  to  chapel,  where  the  cliaplain  conducted  the 
beautiful  service  of  the  Episcopal  Church.  After  dinner, 
midsiii[)men,  who  had  applied  for  the  privilege,  went  out  in 
tlie  city  lor  afternoon  church  ;  a  study  hour  was  kept  from  3 
to  4  o'clock ;  supper  followed  at  the  usual  time,  and  the  even- 
ing study  and  taps  were  the  same  as  on  week  days.  The  dis- 
cipline and  military  training  of  midshipmen  were  excellent; 
the  coui-se  of  study  was  varied  and  thorough,  though  there 
was  a  lamentable  absence  of  natural  history ;  but  the  crowd- 
ing of  meals  and  study  hours  so  closely  together,  the  severe 
demands  made  upon  the  minds  of  youths  developing  rapidly, 
and  the  imprudence  of  many,  released  from  parental  control, 
caused  a  large  percentage  of  failures  at  examination  and  fail- 
ures of  health,  and  made  an  annual  loss  to  the  navy  of  men 
who  would  have  honored  her.  Some  of  the  best  officers  of 
the  old  navy  were  not  remarkable  for  fine  scholarship  when 
students  at  the  academy. 

Harry  enjoyed  his  new  life  greatly  and  stood  well  in  his 
class.  His  practical  knowledge  of  seamanship,  gained  in  the 
merchant  service,  permitted  more  time  for  the  other  studies, 
and  he  needed  it.  Many  a  night  he  covered  the  windows  and 
the  door  of  his  room  with  quilts  to  hide  the  light  and  studie(! 
till  after  midnight.     He  wrote  to  his  father,  on  one  occasion  : 


A    NAVAL   STOnY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  19 

*'  You  may  imagine  how  we  have  to  work,  when  I  tell  yoii 
that  we  went  through  /)or?W  Bourdon's  Algebra  tliree  times  in 
five  months,  and  JJacies'  Legcndre's  Geometry  four  times  in 
four  months — the  last  time,  taking  a  book  at  a  lesson." 

The  Academy  gave  a  technical  education,  and  inculcated 
morality  and  a  high  sense  of  honor.  The  middies  belonged 
to  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  and  were  representatives  of 
the  manners,  thoughts  and  prejudices  of  the  sections  from 
which  they  were  appointed.  The  cool,  logical  humanitarian 
from  the  North  roomed  and  associated  with  the  passionate 
pro-slavery  advocate  from  the  South.  Although  politics  were 
tabooed  by  the  regulations,  there  was  more  or  less  {)olitical 
discussion  among  the  middies,  and  this  often  led  to  personal 
difficulties.  These  were  settled  by  friends  or  fists.  Among 
men  brtd  to  the  profession  of  arms,  it  was  natural  that  every 
one  should  protect  himself  and  resent  insults  by  the  only 
means  within  his  power.  Not  to  do  so  was  a  disgrace  which 
few  cared  to  endure,  and  some  few  timid  or  Christian  charac- 
ters were  made  miserable  for  years  by  taunts  of  cowardice,  and 
social  ostracism,  because  they  had  not  vindicated  their  honor 
vi  et  onnis  at  the  critical  moment  of  trial.  Yet,  there  was  a 
great  deal  of  friendship  and  good  feeling  among  the  middies, 
and  they  would  rally  in  force  to  resent  anv  invasion  of  their 
rights  by  the  boys  of  Annapolis,  their  superior  officei-s,  or  even 
the  Dejiartment  at  Washington. 

The  Commandant  of  midshipmen  and  his  staff  recognized 
the  rights  of  students,  and  were  not  too  .strenuous  in  enforcing 
the  law  against  one  who  had  defended  his  honor.  At  general 
quarters  on  board  ship,  during  a  practice  cruise,  a  middy,  act- 
ing as  second  sponger,  accidentally  dropped  the  sponire  upon 
the  foot  of  a  fastidious  comrade,  who  was  acting  as  train- 
tackleman,  and  immediately  said,  "I  beg  ])ardon." 

The  latter  mumbled,  "You  are  no  gentleman." 

"  What  did  you  say?"  asked  the  former. 

"  You  are  no  gentleman,"  was  the  re})Iy,  loud  enough  for 
the  whole  gun's  crew  to  hear. 

The  words  were  hardly  out  of  his  mouth  before  he  was 
knocked  down  by  the  aspersed  middy.  He  was  ordered  to 
report  to  the  captain  for  fighting  at  quarters — a  heinous  offence 
against  discipline.     The  captain   heard   the  story   from    the 


20  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

principals  and  witnesses,  and  placed  both  middies  under  arrest. 
He  told  one  of  his  officers,  later,  that  he  had  punished  one  for 
striking  a  comrade  at  quarters,  and  the  other  for  insulting  him 
and  not  striking  back. 

The  niost  of  the  buildings  of  the  Academy  were  heated  by 
steam,  and,  on  cold  winter  days,  the  heat  was  not  always 
sufficient  to  go  around.  A  number  of  midshipmen  were  sick 
at  the  hospital,  and  appealed  to  the  surgeon's  steward  to  have 
fire  in  the  grates,  that  liad  been  painted  and  closed  for  a  long 
time.  He  refused.  They  took  their  newspapers,  broke  up 
several  chairs,  and  made  a  brisk  fire.  The  smell  of  burning 
paint  soon  penetrated  to  the  office  below  and  aroused  the 
olfactory  organs  and  the  ire  of  Monsieur  B.  Up  he  came 
with  haste,  and  demanded  the  reason  for  the  act  and  the  names 
of  those  who  had  destroyed  Government  pro|)erty.  Every 
middy  in  the  hospital  had  helped,  and  the  honors  were  equally 
divided.  A  second  classman  was  the  leader,  and  he  defied  the 
steward  and  threatened  to  report  the  condition  of  the  heating 
apparatus  to  the  Department.  The  affiiir  was  amicably  set- 
tled by  an  agreement  to  pay  for  the  property  used,  and  the 
steward  promised  not  to  report  to  the  surgeon. 

The  next  morning  the  surgeon  came  to  visit  the  patients 
and  said  to  Mr.  C,  "  Put  out  your  tongue  !  Why  did  you 
break  those  chairs  last  night?" 

"  To  protect  us  all  from  cold,"  was  the  firm  answer. 

"  Well,  sir  ;  I  shall  report  you  to  the  commandant." 

"  Very  well,  sir  ;  1  shall  report  you  to  the  Department  for 
cruelty  to  sick  midshipmen  in  freezing  them  in  the  hospital." 

There  was  no  report  made  upon  either  side,  but  the  next 
time  that  second  classman  went  to  the  hospital  with  a  head- 
ache. Monsieur  B.  gave  him  a  gobletful  of  a  most  villainous 
compound  of  senna  and  salts. 

The  teachers  of  the  Academy  were  lieutenants,  lieutenant- 
oonimanders  and  naval  instructors — the  latter  in  the  minority. 
Studies  were  recited  in  the  rooms  of  the  mess-hall.  Every 
Saturday  noon,  the  bulletin-boards  in  the  vestibule  recorded 
the  standing  of  each  middy  in  his  section  and  class,  and  they 
were  the  rallying  points  until  each  one  had  copied  down  his 
averages.  Here  the  professors  were  discussed  freely,  and  ap- 
proved or  condemned  according  to  their    markings.     Here 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   TEIE    LATE    WAR.  21 

orders  were  posted  and  sundry  epigrams  and  poetic  eifusions 
exhibited.  One  might  read,  "  Through  cramps  to  crown  ;" 
"  Through  straits  the  great  and  grand  we  reach,  through  study 
touch  the  stars ;"  "  Per  ardua  ad  astra ;"  "  Per  ardua  ad 
augusta,"  etc. 

The  months  flew  by.  The  time  was  so  fille<l  by  studies, 
drilling,  recreation  and  sleej),  that  the  June  examinations  and 
the  Board  of  Examinei-s  arrived  too  soon  for  the  last  sections 
of  the  clai^ses.  Regular  order  was  changed,  and  new  orders 
were  issued. 

The  examinations;  the  inspections;  the  exhibition  drills 
with  swords,  muskets,  field-howitzers  and  heavy  guns  ;  the 
large  number  of  civilians  and  officers  coming  and  going;  the 
presence  of  beautiful  ladies  in  squads  and  battalions;  the 
graduating  exercises  of  the  first  class;  the  brilliant  naval  ball 
in  the  mess-hall,  to  which  many  i)ersons  came  from  Baltimore 
and  Washington  ;  the  disgust  and  grief  of  those  middies  who 
had  "bilged"  in  examination;  the  joy  of  those  who  had 
passed  and  were  getting  ready  to  go  upon  a  practice  cruise  in 
a  real  man-of-war,  or  upon  leave  to  see  their  friends;  the 
good-bye  suppers  and  smokes;  the  hearty  cheers  of  the  send- 
offs;  all  these,  contributed  to  make  those  June  days  exciting 
and  forever  memorable.  Discipline  was  relaxed  in  a  measure, 
and  none  but  the  meanest  of  men  care<l  to  confine  the  middies 
to  their  quarters  after  "  taps,"  or  to  follow  a  suspicious  smell 
of  smoke  to  its  origin. 

One  night,  the  dormitories  were  prepared  for  a  visitor.  A 
bombastic,  martinet  lieutenant,  fond  of  whiskey,  was  on  duty 
as  executive  officer,  and  the  middies  knew  he  would  come 
around  as  a  smelling  committee  about  midnight.  He  came, 
odorous  and  funny  with  wines,  resplendent  in  a  new  uniform, 
and  accompanied  by  one  of  the  half-dozen  academy  police. 
He  walked  to  the  hall  door  of  No.  1,  pushed  it  incautiously 
open  and  stepped  in  ;  a  ])ail  of  dirty  water,  gathered  from  the 
rooms,  had  been  poised  upon  the  door,  and  it  descended  and 
ducked  hira  thoroughly.  He  rushed  through  the  rooms, 
peered  into  each  sleeping  (?)  middy's  face,  and  then  went 
down  to  No.  2.  Heedless  and  enraged,  he  pushed  open  the 
door  and  received  a  second  baptism.  He  would  have  had 
others,  had  he  not  been  cooled  by  his  receptions,  and  ordered 


22  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

the  policeman  to  make  further  investigations  with  a  pole. 
Tlie  new  uniform  was  ruined;  the  midshipmen  were  cross- 
examined  unskilfully  by  a  sympathetic  commander  next  day, 
and  no  one  was  found  guilty,  so  cunningly  had  the  division  of 
labor  been  accom])lished. 

The  June  examinations  and  festivities  were  soon  over,  and 
half  the  middies  went  upon  leave  and  waiting  oixlers,  and  the 
other  half  to  sea  in  a  regular  man-of-war,  for  two  months,  to 
learn  practical  seamanship  and  navigation.  Plarry  went  with 
his  class  on  the  practice  cruise,  and  took  a  high  standing  in 
nautical  studies  on  account  of  his  jirevious  experience.  The 
sloop-of-war  Plymouth,  a  full  rigged  ship,  carrying  eight 
guns  and  a  crew  of  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  officers  and 
men,  had  been  sent  around  to  Annapolis  early  in  June,  and 
lay  in  the  middle  of  the  Severn  with  yards  squared,  ropes 
taut,  guns  frowning  from  her  port-holes,  and  the  flag  of  our 
country  floating  from  the  spanker  gaif.  Two  classes  of  mid- 
shipmen with  their  luggage  were  transferred  from  the  wharf 
to  the  ship's  spacious  deck,  and  introduced  to  the  steerage, 
where  they  were  domiciled  during  the  voyage.  It  was  im- 
possible to  stow  over  a  hundrerl  middies  in  such  narrow  quar- 
ters for  sleeping,  except  by  swinging  them  in  hammocks. 
Each  middy  was  allotted  a  number  and  two  hooks  for  swing- 
ing his  hammock  close  up  beneath  the  beams  of  the  deck. 
The  hooks  for  each  sleeper  were  near  together  laterally,  but 
the  hammock  slings  at  each  end  permitted  one  to  introduce 
liis  legs  between  them  and  over  the  corner  of  his  canvas,  and, 
by  lifting  himself  by  the  arms,  and  working  his  body  like  a 
corkscrew,  he  could  finally  worm  himself  into  it.  This  was 
probably  as  comfortable  a  way  of  getting  aboard  as  any. 

To  land  securely  in  a  hammock  at  sea  requires  an  amount 
of  dexterity  that  is  found  only  in  a  sailor  or  an  acrobat.  If 
you  jump  for  it,  you  crack  your  head  against  the  beams  and 
find  it  is  not  there.  If  you  lay  your  body  across  it  and 
wrijrgle  your  legs,  it  takes  your  breath  and  interferes  with 
yuur  neighbors.  If  you  get  a  good  hold  and  launch  yourself 
suddenly  towards  its  middle,  it  slips  away  from  you  like  an 
eel  in  the  grass  and  lands  you  down  below.  It  is  better  to 
stand  alongside  the  hammock,  take  hold  of  the  head  with  the 
right  hand,  put  the  left  leg  over  one  side  of  the  canvas,  push 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   AVAR.  23 

yourself  cautiously  and  slowly  between  its  two  sides,  watch 
your  chance,  give  a  vigorous  kick  with  the  right  leg  and  roll 
right  into  bed. 

The  ventilation  of  the  steerage  was  by  the  hatches  and  wind- 
sails,  and  was  not  remarkably  successful.  There  was  an  odor 
similar  to  that  of  a  zoological  garden  about  four  bells  in  the 
mid- watch,  but  the  excess  of  fresh  air  on  deck  fully  compen- 
sated for  the  foul  below,  and  no  one's  health  suffered.  Occa- 
sionally an  asphyxiating  middy  would  sling  his  hammock 
between  two  guns  upon  the  gun-deck  above,  or  stretch  out  on 
camp-stools,  if  the  sea  was  quiet.  This  was  against  orders, 
and  bi'ought  reprimand  and  ridicule  sometimes,  which  did  not 
cause  much  suffering.  Every  middy  lashed  up  his  hammock, 
took  it  upon  deck,  and  had  it  stowed  in  the  rack  along  the 
rail  in  the  morning,  and  thus  the  steerage  was  left  free,  with 
its  table  and  camp-stools,  for  meals,  writing,  studying  and 
lounging  daring  the  day.  The  bull's-eyes  let  in  enough  light 
for  all  purposes  during  pleasant  weather,  and  the  gun-deck 
above  was  used  amidships  for  reading  and  recitations.  The 
jiort  side  of  the  quarter-deck  and  the  gangway,  covered  by 
the  blue  sky  or,  in  part,  by  an  awning,  furnished  room  for 
exercise  and  ex|)osure  to  sunliglit.  In  these  spaces  over  a 
hundred  midshipmen  lived,  moved,  studied  and  worked  during 
two  summer  months  at  sea. 

A  i)ractice  cruise  in  old  times  differed  from  every  other  kind 
of  cruise.  There  were  more  midilies  to  every  square  foot  of 
deck  than  could  be  found  anywhere  else  afloat,  and  they  were 
obligeil  to  perform  many  of  the  duties  of  the  common  sailor 
in  order  to  familiarize  themselves  with  everything  practical 
ptrtaining  to  their  profession.  Annapolis  gave  a  liberal  edu- 
cation and  taught  theory ;  the  practice  ships  taught  manipu- 
lation and  manoeuvres,  and  improved  the  mind  by  experience 
and  travel. 

The  midshipmen  on  the  practice  cruise  were  divided  into 
watches  and  stationed  in  different  parts  of  the  ship;  they  did 
regular  duty  day  and  night,  and  acted  now  as  sailors,  now  as 
officers,  according  to  command.  They  knotted  and  spliced 
ropes;  fitted  rigging  to  spars  ;  bent,  unbent,  loosed,  reefed  and 
furled  sails;  sent  yards  and  topmasts  up  and  down;  cast  the 
lead;  threw  the  log;  had  tricl<s  (of  steering)  at  the  wheel; 


"24  CRUISIJSG   AKB   BLOCKADING, 

itook  time  sights  Avith  the  sextant  for  longitude;  caught  the 
•sun  at  meridian  for  latitude;  drilled  in  all  the  different 
manoeuvres  of  sailing  a  man-of-war;  exercised  at  fire  quarters 
with  hose  and  boats,  and  at  general  quarters  with  small  arras 
and  heavy  guns.  They  had  regular  lessons  in  navigation; 
found  time  to  read  some  general  literature;  kept  their  clothes 
in  order,  and  attended  service  and  Sabhath-school  on  Sunday. 
The  time  was  fully  occupied  and  every  hour  brought  its  duties. 
Many  persons  imagine  there  is  little  to  do  at  sea  except  to  trim 
the  sails  and  spin  yarns.  There  never  was  a  greater  mistake. 
Merchant  sailors  are  kept  busy  enough  upon  ship  work,  but  a 
man-of-war  with  her  large  crew  is  a  perfect  hive  of  industry. 

The  good  sloop-of-war  carried  her  precious  freight  safely  to 
Europe  and  l)ack  again  without  serious  accident.  When  the 
anchor  was  dropped  in  the  Severn,  and  the  Academy  band 
came  down  on  the  wharf  and  played  "  Home  Again,"  starting 
tears  and  loud  hurrahs  testified  to  the  gladness  of  the  impris- 
oned midshipmen  at  their  return.  This  was  even  more  mani- 
fest the  next  day,  when  they  landed  and  took  up  their  quarters 
in  rooms  for  the  third  aud  first  classes;  the  caterer,  waiters, 
policemen  and  room  servants  were  greeted  heartily;  Dorsey, 
Johnson,  Simmons  and  other  favorite  colored  men  were  given 
commissions  for  the  town,  and  the  first  few  nights  ashore  were 
celebrated  merrily  by  music,  dancing,  suppers,  smokes  and 
hazing  the  new  fourth  classmen,  many  of  whom  had  already 
arrived. 

Hazing  is  looked  upon  by  moralists  and  those  who  have 
never  been  to  college,  as  outrageous,  nay,  almost  heinous ;  but 
those  who  have  borne  and  done  their  share  of  it  bear  no  malice 
against  any  one.  It  is  an  experience  of  college  life  which  few 
care  to  invite,  yet  most  persons  are  glad  to  have  passed  through. 
It  becomes  sometimes  cruel  and  illegal,  and  should  be  re- 
-strained within  reasonable  limits. 

It  was  midnight  at  the  Academy,  and  a  fourth  classman 
slept  sweetly  in  his  narrow  iron  bedstead  by  the  wall,  'The 
door  of  the  room  was  opened  stealthily,  and  two  youths  walked 
on  ti])toe,  one  to  the  foot,  the  other  to  the  head  of  the  bed. 
They  raised  the  bedstead  steadily  from  the  floor,  turued  it 
rapidly  over,  and  deposited  the  sleeper  upon  the  floor,  with 
the  mattress  aud  bedstead  upon  him.    Shouts  of  laughter  from 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  25 

a  dozen  witnesses,  and  hastily  retreating  footsteps,  informed 
the  buried,  dazed  middy  of  the  perpetrators.  He  rubbed 
arnica  upon  his  bruises,  made  uj)  his  bed  and  went  to  sleep. 
The  next  day  he  made  no  complaints,  but  gathered  from  the 
significant  looks  of  several  Southerners  that  they  were  the 
guilty  hazers.  He  took  the  attack  so  quietly  that  they  thought 
this  son  of  New  England  was  afraid,  and  so  tried  their  game 
again  a  few  weeks  later.  Two  middies  sought  the  ends  of  his 
bed  and  were  about  to  raise  it,  when  the  sleeper  arose  with  a 
broomstick,  which  he  had  hidden  under  the  coverlet,  and  gave 
them  a  mighty  beating  as  far  as  the  outer  hall  door.  This 
was  the  last  time  his  bed  was  disturbed, 

Harry  went  home  on  leave  at  the  end  of  the  second  school 
year ;  made  a  short  cruise  along  the  coast  as  a  second  class- 
man, the  next  summer;  graduated  the  following  June,  as  one 
of  the  star  members  of  his  class,  and  received  his  commission 
as  midshipman.  He  was  soon  after  ordered  to  the  Charles- 
town  Navy  Yard,  where  he  was  engaged  some  months  drilling 
volunteer  officers  in  smallarms  and  infantry  tactics.  He  then 
made  a  cruise  to  Bermuda  and  Charleston  ;  returned  to  the 
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard  ;  was  examined  and  promoted  to  Ensign, 
and  ordered  to  the  sloop-of-war  Nautilus,  fitting  for  sea  at  the 
Philadelphia  Navy  Yard. 


26  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  great  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union  had  gone 
on  with  varying  fortunes  for  several  months.  The  Quaker 
City  was  full  of  strange  faces  and  uniforms.  Squads  of  sol- 
diers were  marching  here  and  there.  The  drum  and  fife  were 
heard  in  all  parts.  The  Cooper  Shop  Refreshment  Saloons 
were  besieged  daily  by  car-loads  of  soldiers,  who  stopped  only 
long  enough  to  satisfy  urgent  hunger  with  the  gootl  food  jiro- 
vided,  and  then  hurried  onward  to  the  front.  The  jokes, 
handkerchief  flirtations,  laughter,  cheers  and  martial  music  of 
the  merry,  rollicking  soldiers,  en  route  from  the  North,  were 
in  strange  contrast  to  the  low  sobs,  the  sad,  earnest  Good-byes 
and  the  wailing  anguish  of  women,  with  children  clinging  to 
them,  taking  a  last  leave  of  their  husbands  who  were  under 
marching  orders.  Strong  men  wrung  each  other's  hands,  and 
parted  in  silence,  unable  to  speak  from  emotion ;  others  cried 
noisily  to  keep  from  unseemly  laughter,  or  laughed  hysteri- 
cally to  restrain  unmanly  tears. 

The  bulletin  boards  at  the  newspaper  offices  were  surrounded 
by  crowds  eagerly  reading  the  latest  news;  newsboys  were 
shouting  late  editions  with  reports  of  the  last  battle,  and 
quietly  dressed  ladies,  witli  parcels  and  baskets,  were  flitting 
about  the  hospitals  and  ministering  to  the  wants  of  the 
wounded.  Everywhere  one  was  met  by  strange  scenes  for  the 
staid  city  of  Penn.  Everybody  talked  war,  read  of  battles, 
dreamed  of  desperate  adventures  of  arms,  and  walked  the 
streets  with  shoulders  thrown  back  and  feet  keeping  time  with 
the  taps  of  the  drum.  The  ladies  by  their  home  firesides  were 
scraping  lint,  cutting  and  rolling  bandages,  making  haver- 
sacks, and  fitting  out  sewing-cases  for  the  soldier  boys.  Even 
the  children  forsook  their  tamer  toys,  donned  paper  cocked 
hats,  and  strutted  around  the  rooms  with  mimic  swords  and 
painted  guns.  Never  before  did  a  Christian  people  lay  down 
the  arts  of  peace  and  become  so  thoroughly  and  rapidly  per- 
meated by  the  martial  spirit. 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  27 

Harry  came  over  to  Philadelphia  by  a  morning  train,  and, 
strolling  about  the  city  in  the  afternoon,  he  realized  for  the 
firhit  time  that  there  was  a  great  war  in  progress.  He  spent 
the  evening  with  a  family  which  had  long  been  associated  with 
others  in  aiding  the  escape  of  negro  slaves  from  bondage,  and 
found  the  ladies,  young  and  old,  engaged  in  making  bandages. 
The  lady  of  the  house,  a  very  intelligent  woman,  well  read 
upon  all  the  phases  of  politics  which  had  precipitated  the  war, 
gave  him  a  rapid  sketch  of  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  free 
spirit  in  the  North,  and  the  selfishness,  arrogance  and  treason- 
able acts  of  the  South.  Harry  had  not  paid  much  attention 
to  politics,  as  in  ante-bellum  times  political  discussions  were 
avoided  in  the  Government  service,  and  he  had  been  too  busy 
till  then  studying  his  profession,  but  he  acquired  upon  this 
visit  and  subsequent  ones  clear  ideas  of  the  justice  of  the  cause 
for  which  he  was  expectetl  to  fight,  which  his  reading  and  re- 
flection increased.  Many  a  time  afterwards,  when  destroying 
property  and  attacking  the  soldiers  of  the  South,  did  the  con- 
victions then  formed  satisfy  his  mind  and  strengthen  his  reso- 
lution against  the  enemies  of  his  country. 

Harry  went  down  to  the  old  navy  yard  at  the  foot  of  Fed- 
eral St.,  the  next  morning  after  his  arrival,  and  attempted  to 
pass  the  sentinel  at  the  gate. 

"  You  can't  go  in  here,''  said  he. 

"  But  I  want  to  see  the  sloop-of-war  Nautilus,"  said  Harry. 

"Stand  back,  sir;  no  admission  without  a  permit." 

"  A  permit,  hey  ?  Take  a  cigar,  old  fellow ;  I  only  want 
to  look  over  the  yard  a  little." 

This  softened  the  marine,  but  he  glanced  over  to  the  guard- 
room, saw  the  conversation  had  been  heard  by  the  corporal,  and 
refused  with  some  show  of  anger.  The  corporal  came  over  to 
see  what  was  the  matter. 

Harry  unbuttoned  his  light  overcoat,  exposed  his  naval 
buttons,  and  said,  "  This  stupid  fellow  will  not  let  me  in, 
when  I  want  to  see  the  Nautilus  and  report  to  the  Commo- 
dore." 

A  glimpse  of  the  beautiful  naval  buttons  cleared  the  cloud 
from  the  sentinel's  brow,  as  the  sun  sometimes  lifts  a  New- 
foundland fog  bank,  and  he  said,  "  Why  didn't  you  tell  me 
you  were  an  officer  ?     I  thought  you  were  some  blasted  spy," 


28  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

They  all  laughed.  Harry  gave  each  marine  a  cigar  and 
passed  in. 

The  Commodore  endorsed  Harry's  orders;  told  him  his 
ship  would  not  be  ready  for  some  weeks,  and  he  could  remain 
ill  the  city  and  report  at  the  yard  every  morning  until  further 
notice. 

The  navy  yard  was  thronged  with  busy  men,  fitting  out  gun- 
boats, sloops-of-war  and  ironclads  for  sea  service.  Howitzers 
and  heavy  broadside  and  pivot  guns,  with  and  without  car- 
riages, were  mingled  with  piles  of  solid  shot  and  unfilled 
shell ;  timbers,  coils  of  rope,  anchors,  chains,  Avater-casks  and 
accumulated  stores,  lay  around  everywhere,  obstructing  the 
paths  and  making  locomotion  a  task.  The  ship-houses  were 
full  of  monster  vessels  approaching  completion;  merchant 
ships,  redolent  with  the  spices  of  India,  were  having  their 
bulwarks  pierced  for  guns;  pretty  schooner-rigged  gunboats 
were  receiving  the  last  touches  from  the  carpenters  and  paint- 
ers; two  l)eautiful  bark-rigged  sloops-of-war  were  taking  in 
cables,  anchors,  guns  and  heavy  stores  alongside  the  dock,  and 
the  clean,  trim,  old  receiving-ship  Princeton,  full  of  men,  lay 
at  anchor  a  little  way  out  in  the  stream,  as  if  quietly  survey- 
ing the  scene  with  the  feelings  of  an  old  pensioner,  whose 
fighting  days  had  long  been  past.  Harry  looked  around  with 
feelings  of  satisfaction  and  pride.  The  yard  men  treated  him 
with  deference;  the  sailors  greeted  him  with  smiles  and  lifted 
caps,  and  officers  exchanged  the  naval  salute  with  him,  as 
they  moved  around  the  yard,  important  with  the  duties  en- 
trusted to  them. 

Harry  found  the  N^autilus  to  be  one  of  the  bark-rigged, 
steam  sloops-of-war  before  mentioned,  and  walked  aboard  by 
the  gang-])lank.  He  inspected  her  from  stem  to  stern  and  was 
very  much  pleased  with  everything.  At  last  he  stood  by  the 
engine-room  hatch  and  looked  down  u})on  the  ponderous  en- 
gines. He  noticed  a  gentleman,  with  spectacles  and  a  slouch 
hat,  standing  upon  the  opposite  side  of  the  hatch,  and  re- 
marked, "  Fine  engines  those." 

"Yes,  rather  larger  than  I  have  seen  before,"  replied  his 
vis- a- vis. 

"I  like  the  ship,  but  I  would  not  like  to  do  duty  down 
there,"  said  Harrv. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  IV 

"  Wouldn't  you  ?     Well,  I  shall  be  obliged  to  do  it." 

"You  are  going  in  the  ship  then?"  said  Harry.  "So  am 
1,"  and  he  went  around  to  the  stranger,  presented  his  oard, 
and  received  one  in  return.  He  read,  "  llichard  Dayton, 
Brooklyn,  N.  Y." 

"  You  are  an  engineer  then  ?"  said  Harry. 

"  Yes,  a  third-assistant  on  my  first  cruise." 

"Is  it  possible?  You'll  have  a  nice  time  being  sea-sick 
down  there  among  the  piston-rods  and  crank-pins." 

"  Perhaps  so,  but  I've  never  been  sea-sick  yachting  around 
New  York.  My  brother  has  a  yacht,  and  I  have  often  been 
out  a  hundred  miles  from  Sandy  Hook." 

"  Well,  I  hope  you  will  not.  It  is  disagreeable,  not  to  say 
disgusting,  but  I've  never  experienced  it  myself" 

"  You  go  in  the  wardroom,  I  suppose?"  said  Dayton,  glanc- 
ing at  the  gold  band  upon  Harry's  sleeve. 

"  Yes,  they  say  so.  I've  had  my  cruise  in  the  steerage.  I'd 
rather  go  in  the  steerage  though.  Steerage  life  is  jolly.  You 
need  not  be  so  particular  about  dress,  what  you  say,  and  how 
you  act  there.  We  had  lots  of  fun  in  the  last  ship.  The 
steerage  is  a  democracy.  Social,  ship,  and  government  aifairs 
can  be  discussed  freely  and  fully  there.  We  had  a  warm  time 
talking  down  the  greasers  in  the  opposite  steerage." 

"The  what?"  said  Dayton. 

"  I  beg  pardon,  I  said  the  greasers,  a  terra  sometimes  ap- 
plied to  the  engineers.  I  meant  no  offense.  You  see,  we 
sometimes  became  excited,  and,  when  they  called  us  market- 
boys,  because  one  of  us  had  to  go  in  charge  of  the  early 
market-boat  in  port  to  bring  off  fresh  provisions,  we  retaliated 
by  calling  them  greasers,  though  of  course  they  had  only  sci- 
entific work  to  do  in  the  engine-room.  One  must  be  careful 
of  speech  and  action  in  the  wardroom,  because  the  First  Luff 
lives  there  and  might  take  notes  sometimes.  They  have  their 
own  sport  there,  I  suppose,  and  I  hear  our  executive  is  a  jolly 
good  fellow.     We  shall  see." 

Dayton  looked  quizzically  at  Harry  and  said, 

"You  graduated  at  Annapolis?" 

"  Yes." 

"I  graduated  at  the  Polytechnic  Institute  at  Troy." 

"The  deuce  vou  did  ! — the  finest  civil  engineering  school  in 


30  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

tlio  country.  What  can  possess  you  to  go  out  as  third-assist- 
ant?" 

"  Piitriotisni,  or  a  desire  to  be  of  some  use  to  the  country  in 
her  time  of  need,"  said  Dayton  earnestly. 

Harry  smiled,  but  the  deep  brown  eyes  looked  calmly  into 
his  and  lie  became  grave  immediately.  It  was  a  revelation  to 
him.  He  ai)proved  of  patriotism,  of  course.  He  had  been 
bred  to  arms  and  was  an  officer  in  the  line  of  promotion. 
Patriotism  was  easy  for  him.  Here  was  a  man  of  his  own  age, 
thoroughly  educated  in  science,  and  occupying  a  good  position 
in  life,  forsaking  everything  pleasant  and  going  out  on  rather 
unremunerative,  dangerous  and  disagreeable  service  for  love 
of  country.  Harry  was  touched.  He  held  out  his  hand  and 
said,  "  My  dear  fellow,  I  am  glad  to  know  you.  I  am  sure 
we  shall  be  friends,  whether  our  lots  are  cast  in  the  steerage  or 
the  wardroom.  I  have  known  too  many  educated  engineers 
not  to  have  the  greatest  respect  for  their  acquirements  and  their 
profession.  We  shall  meet  again  on  board  ship,  until  then. 
Good-bye." 

"Good-bye,"  said  Dayton  calmly,  "I  shall  be  glad  to 
renew  our  acquaintance." 

Harry  hurried  ashore  and  left  him  looking  down  upon  the 
monster  engines  of  the  Nautilus, 

A  few  days  after  this  conversation,  the  Nautilus  was  dropped 
away  from  the  dock  and  anchored  in  the  stream,  and  the  offi- 
cers were  notified  to  be  on  hand  before  meridian,  on  Wednes- 
day, as  the  ship  was  going  into  commission.  Harry  came 
down  with  his  luggage  and  was  taken  on  board  by  a  cutter, 
in  charge  of  an  officer  and  crew  from  the  Receiving-ship.  He 
had  a  fine  view  of  his  future  home,  as  he  moved  rapidly  over 
the  dimj)led  Delaware.  Never  had  he  seen  a  more  beautiful 
vessel,  and  his  heart  swelled  with  pride  at  the  thought  of  being 
an  officer  of  such  a  noble  craft. 

The  hull  was  constructed  of  the  best  oak  and  Southern  pine, 
and  every  brace,  bar  and  bolt, wrought  of  the  best  Pennsyl- 
vania iron,  had  been  carefully  put  in  place  under  the  watchful 
eyes  of  the  master  builder.  The  seams  were  well  caulked  to 
resist  the  searching  currents  of  the  sea.  The  bow  and  stern 
had  those  exquisite  curves  and  water  lines,  which  distinguish 
a  yacht  from  a  coaster,  or  a  clipper  from  a  Chinese  junk.    The 


A   NAVAL  STORY  OF  THE   LATE  WAR.  31 

masts  and  other  spars  had  the  delicate  taper  of  a  lady's  finger, 
and  the  shrouds,  stays,  lifts  and  running  gear,  shone  in  the 
morning  sun  like  a  gossamer  web  spun  on  the  dewy  grass. 

There  were  several  boats  hanging  at  the  davits  and  a  couple 
floated  alongside.  A  massive  anchor  hung  from  the  port  cat- 
head, but  the  starboard  one  was  at  the  bottom  of  the  river  at 
one  end  of  the  heavy  chain  cable,  which  passed  into  the  hawse- 
pipe  and  kept  the  ship  securely  at  anchor.  A  set  of  steps  and 
landings,  shining  white  against  the  jet  black  hull,  was  placed 
at  the  starboard  gangway  for  convenience  in  getting  on  board 
while  in  port,  and  the  officers  and  sailors  moving  about  the 
deck  showed  that  the  crew  had  been  already  transferred  from 
the  Princeton. 

Harry  stepped  lightly  down  upon  the  deck,  touched  his  cap 
to  the  group  of  officers,  and,  seeking  the  executive  officer, 
Lieutenant-commander  Felton,  reported  to  him  for  duty.  "J 
am  Ensign  Careswell  and  I  have  come  on  board  to  report  for 
duty,  sir,"  said  he.  "  Commodore  Paulding  told  me  this  was 
a  regular  man-of-war,  fitted  out  in  the  best  style,  and  probably 
going  on  special  service." 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  sir,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  know  sev- 
eral of  your  family  in  the  service,  and  have  no  doubt  we  shall 
have  pleasant  cruising  together." 

Harry  bowed  and  then  went  to  look  over  the  ship.  What 
a  beauty  she  was!  The  spar-deck  stretched  in  a  gentle  curve 
from  stem  to  stern.  Upon  each  side,  there  was  a  row  of  56- 
pounder  guns  on  their  carriages,  with  their  muzzles  project- 
ing slightly  through  the  gun-ports.  At  each  extremity  of  the 
rows,  there  were  some  handsome  brass  24-pounder  howitzers, 
holding  the  "black  dogs  of  war,"  as  it  were,  in  golden  corners. 
Over  the  guns,  cutlasses  and  boarding  pikes  were  arranged 
upon  the  bulwarks  in  symmetrical  figures,  and  a  long  line  of 
snowy  hammocks,  snugly  lashed,  filled  in  the  netting  along 
the  rail  from  bow  to  stern. 

An  immense  200-pounder  Parrott  gun  rested  upon  its  com- 
plicated carriage  behind  the  foremast,  and  an  Xl-inch  Dahl- 
gren  gun  and  carriage  occupied  the  space  just  forward  of  the 
mizzen  mast.  Both  were  supj)lied  with  brass  tracks,  laid  in 
circles  upon  the  deck,  and  removable  sections  of  the  bulwarks 
showed  that  they  were  pivot  guns,  capable  of  being  pointed  to 


32  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

starboard  or  port,  as  the  exigencies  of  war  might  demanfl. 
Other  places  along  the  deck  were  occupied  by  hatches.  Some 
were  for  lowering  and  hoisting  stores  and  ammunition;  some 
had  steps  and  ladders  leading  to  the  main  deck,  and  others 
were  covered  by  skylights  and  transmitted  light  and  air  to  the 
rooms  below. 

The  forecastle-deck,  raised  about  six  feet  above  the  spar- 
deck,  filled  up  the  bow  nearly  flush  with  the  bulwarks,  and 
was  guarded  by  a  chain  and  posts.  It  had  the  cat-heads  and 
knight-heads,  the  usual  appliances  for  the  anchors  and  forward 
sails,  and  a  30-pounder  Parrott  gun  upon  a  pivot  carriage 
amidships.  The  space  below  the  deck  contained  numerous 
lockers,  or  closets;  a  capstan  amidships,  and  the  chain-stoppers 
and  cables — the  latter  running  out  the  hawse-pipes  forward, 
and  backward  through  pipes  in  the  deck  to  the  chain  lockers 
at  the  foot  of  the  foremast. 

A  small  deck  away  aft,  called  the  raonkey-poop,  or  mid- 
shipman's quarter-deck,  filled  up  the  stern  even  with  the  bul- 
warks, and  was  surrounded  by  a  chain.  A  30-pounder  Parrott 
gun  on  pivot  carriage  was  secured  amidships.  A  person  stand- 
ing upon  this  deck  could  look  down  upon  the  spar-deck,  and 
have,  at  the  same  time,  a  comprehensive  view  of  the  outside  of 
the  ship  and  the  surroundings.  Here  the  quartermaster,  with 
a  spy-glass  in  hand,  was  constantly  on  the  lookout  for  shore 
signals,  ship  signals,  and  the  general  movements  of  boats  and 
vessels  around.  Upon  each  quarter  hung  the  life-saving  ap- 
paratus, with  cork  floats,  coils  of  life  lines,  and  a  case  of  pyro- 
technics, ready  to  drop  into  the  sea  and  flash  out  its  saving 
light  at  the  pulling  of  ,a  lock-string.  Beneath  the  monkey- 
poop,  there  was  a  square  well  with  hoisting  gear  for  taking 
the  screw  out  of  the  water,  when  it  was  desirable  to  go  under 
sail  alone.  Upon  each  side  of  this  box,  there  was  a  wide 
passage-way,  with  a  port  opening  astern — the  port  side  being 
in  all  ships  a  favorite  smoking  place  for  officers — and  around 
the  walls  were  numerous  lockers,  containing  the  codes  of  sig- 
nals, the  flags  of  nations,  rockets  and  signal  lights,  spy-glasses, 
logs  and  other  treasures  of  the  quartermaster. 

Forward  of  the  poop-deck,  a  large  double  wheel,  with  its 
steering  gear,  was  covered  by  a  tarpaulin,  having  painted  upon 
its  face  the  U.  S.  coat  of  arms  and  "  U.  S.  S.  Nautilus,"  and 


A    XAVAI.   STORY   OF   THE    T.ATE    WAR.  66 

a  liandsome  Mniiacle  forward  of  it  contained  two  largo  com- 
passes and  a  lamp. 

The  whole  ship  was  open  for  inspection,  and  Harry  went 
down  the  steps  of  the  narrow  gangway  into  the  cabin.  There 
was  a  dining-room  amidships,  a  small  pantry  forward  of  it,  and 
a  state-room  with  bunks,  upon  each  side,  all  well  carpeted, 
while  the  chairs  and  sofas  were  upholstered  in  blue  velvet.  A 
table,  a  hanging  rack  for  glasses,  a  compass,  a  barometer,  toilet 
requisites,  bedding  and  curtains  completed  the  furnishing. 
Beneath  the  floor  there  wei'e  places  for  storing  provisions,  etc. 
A  door  opened  forwards  into  the  wardroom,  the  home  of  the 
higher  officers  of  the  ship.  This  room  was  about  fifteen  feet 
square,  carpeted  with  oil-cloth,  and  lighted  from  above  by  a 
large  skylight  in  the  deck.  There  was  a  row  of  state-rooms 
upon  each  side,  one  for  each  officer,  and  a  pair  of  steps  aft  led 
upon  deck.  A  door  upon  each  side  in  the  forward  partition 
communicated  with  an  intermediate  space  between  the  steer- 
ages, called  the  country.  The  state-rooms  were  to  be  occupied 
by  the  executive  officer,  the  lieutenant,  two  masters,  the  ensign, 
the  paymaster,  chief-engineer  and  surgeon.  Each  state-room 
was  about  six  feet  square,  and  had  a  wide,  comfortable  bunk, 
with  drawers  beneath,  a  dead  light  in  the  outer  wall,  and  the 
usual  toilet  appurtenances. 

A  long  table  was  secured  across  the  forward  part  of  the 
wardroom,  and  the  mizzenmast  passed  through  the  deck  just 
aft  of  it.  A  swinging  shelf  with  glasses,  a  narrow  sideboard, 
and  a  few  chairs  and  camp-stools  comprised  the  outfit.  A 
small  room  aft  served  as  a  pantry,  and  was  filled  with  dishes 
and  silver  in  box-like  shelves.  Two  small  hatches  in  the  floor 
opened  into  store  rooms ;  one  contained  the  wardroom  supj)lies, 
and  the  other,  the  powder  and  shell  for  the  quarter-deck  how- 
itzers. 

The  country  was  simply  a  passage-way,  and  had  a  hatch 
above  and  one  in  the  deck  below,  leading  to  a  room  for  the 
officer's  provisions,  and  the  paymaster's  stores  of  clothing  and 
grog.  A  door  opened  forward  into  the  engine-room ;  one 
on  the  right,  into  the  midshipmen's  steerage,  and  one  on  the 
left,  into  the  engineers'  steerage.  The  midshipmen's  steerage 
contained  half  a  dozen  bunks,  numerous  closets,  a  table,  two 
swinging  shelves  and  some  camp-stools.     Several  dead-lights 


34  CEtriSING   AKD    BLOCKADING. 

in  the  side  of  the  ship  let  in  light  and,  sometimes,  air.  The 
engineers'  steerage  on  the  opposite  side  was  an  exact  counter- 
part of  the  midshipmen's.  The  intermediate  was  a  sort  ol 
commons  for  steerage  and  wardroom  officers,  in  wet  and  cold 
weather,  and  many  were  the  jokes  and  stories  told  there,  during 
the  relaxation  of  official  dignity. 

The  space  from  the  country  to  the  mainmast,  from  the  spar- 
deck  to  the  very  bottom  of  the  ship,  was  occupied  by  the 
powerful  engines,  the  condensers,  the  cranks  and  forward  end 
of  the  shaft.  The  shaft  ran  along  above  the  kelson  and 
underneath  the  wardroom  and  cabin  to  the  two-bladed  screw 
at  the  stern. 

The  fire-room,  boilers  and  coal  bunkers  filled  another  large 
sectit)n  of  the  entire  hull  just  forward  of  the  engine-room  and 
mainmast.  A  large  hatch,  covered  by  skylight  and  gratings, 
let  the  light  and  air  down  through  the  spar-deck  to  this  fier^ 
region.  The  smoke-stack  and  escape-pipe  came  up  through 
the  afterpart  of  this  hatch,  and,  between  these  and  the  main- 
mast, a  narrow  foot-bridge,  with  bell  handles  for  signalling  tc 
the  engineer  below,  extended  across  the  ship  upon  a  level  with 
the  hammock  nettings.  The  officer  of  the  deck,  and,  at  sta- 
tions, an  engineer,  stood  upon  this  bridge,  which  gave  a  com- 
manding view  of  the  whole  ship  and  the  waters  around. 

The  space  between  decks,  from  the  fire-room  to  beyond  the 
foremast,  contained  the  galley  and  cooking  utensils  for  the 
whole  ship's  company,  but  the  greater  part  was  used  by  the 
sailors  for  general  purposes  by  day,  and  a  sleeping  place  a1 
night,  when  the  snowy  hammocks  were  unlashed  anel  swung 
to  the  numerous  hooks  in  the  soliel  beams  overhead.  Here 
they  spreael  their  mess-cloths  anel  ate  their  meals  in  bad 
weather,  but  they  were  transferred  to  the  spar-deck,  when 
pleasant  weather  and  ship  discipline  permitted.  Several  rooms 
upon  each  side  were  occupied  by  the  boatswain,  carpenter 
sailmaker,  gunner  and  apothecary.  A  space  was  set  apart  or 
the  starboarel  side  next  the  apothecary  shop  for  the  sick-bay 
where  the  apothecary,  nurses  and  surgeon  remained  eluring 
action. 

A  triangular  space  in  the  bow  was  partitioned  off  for  pris- 
oners undergoing  punishment,  and  was  called  the  brig — a  sad 
place  to  visit  or  contemplate.     A  large  store-room  beneatli 


A   NAVAL  STORY  OF  THE   LATE   AVAR.  35 

this,  in  tlie  very  peak  of  the  bow,  was  filled  with  oils,  paints, 
cordage  and  ironwork  for  ship's  use,  and  was  in  charge  of  a 
petty  officer,  called  a  yeoman — a  very  important  man  in  his 
own  estimation.  The  whole  space  from  the  fire-room  to  the 
yeoman's  room,  beneath  the  main-deck — the  hold  of  the  ship- 
was  filled  with  ship's  stores,  ammunition  and  chain  cables. 
The  magazine,  heavily  walled,  lined  with  zinc,  and  full  of 
powder  and  shell,  was  a  little  distance  behind  the  foremast, 
and  the  space  around  was  stowed  with  barrels,  boxes,  bags, 
etc.,  containing  provisions  for  a  long  cruise. 

The  condensers  of  the  boilers  furnished  water  for  general 
use,  and  numerous  butts  of  fresh  water  were  lashed  about  the 
;par-deck  to  supply  the  daily  consumption. 

The  ship  was  complete  and  beautiful  from  kelson  to  truck, 
rrom  jib-boom  end  to  taffrail,  and  the  hardy  sailors  and  fine 
looking  officers  who  covered  her  deck,  this  brilliant  day  in 
October,  were  evidence  that  great  deeds  were  expected  of  her 
by  the  Navy  Department. 

Harry  made  his  tour  of  inspection  and  reached  the  group 
Df  officers  upon  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter-deck,  as 
Captain  Prescott  came  up  from  his  cabin,  touched  his  cap  to 
the  officers,  who  had  saluted  him,  and  said,  "  Mr.  Felton,you 
will  have  the  crew  mustered  upon  the  port  side  and  the  officers 
upon  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter-deck;  let  the  quarter- 
master get  the  pennant  and  colors  ready,  and  station  men  at 
the  halyards  to  put  the  ship  in  commission." 

Lieutenant-commander  Felton  touched  his  cap,  said,  "Aye, 
aye,  sir!"  gave  his  orders  to  the  officers,  and  then  to  the 
[quartermaster  and  the  boatswain. 

The  shrill  whistle  of  the  boatswain  rang  through  the  ship 
and  his  rough  voice  called,  "  All  hands  muster  aft  on  the  port 
5ide  of  the  quarter-deck !"  The  whistle  and  oi'der  were  re- 
peated by  the  boatswain's  mates ;  a  file  of  marines  and  the 
sailors  gathered  quietly  and  respectfully  upon  the  port  side  of 
the  quarter-deck  and  waist,  and  the  officers,  in  uniform,  wear- 
ing their  swords,  stood  in  a  line  upon  the  starboard  side. 
Paymaster  Horton  was  directed  by  Mr.  Felton  to  muster  the 
jrew,  and  his  clerk  called  the  names  of  the  men  and  officers, 
3ach  responding,  "  Here,  sir !"  The  names  of  some  of  the 
men  were  peculiar  and  often  caused  a  smile  among  the  audi- 


36  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

tors.  It  is  well  known  that  the  enlisted  men  of  the  navy  are 
from  all  classes  of  society  and  of  all  nationalities.  Induced 
by  a  desire  for  adventure,  to  see  tlie  world,  to  serve  the  country, 
to  obtain  a  livelihood,  to  gain  promotion,  to  drown  grief,  to 
escape  persecution,  or  to  avoid  punishment  for  criminal  of- 
fences, they  enter  the  navy  under  assumed  names,  and  disap- 
pear from  the  terrestrial  places  that  knew  them.  Such  names 
then,  as  Sam  Patch,  Davy  Crockett,  Dan  Rice,  Napoleon 
Bonaparte,  George  Washington,  Timothy  Ticklepitcher,  etc., 
were  cak'ulated  to  excite  amusement  and  philological  interest. 
Tlie  full  names  were  called,  and  the  given  ones  were  often  as 
curious  as  the  surnames.  Timothy  Timpkius  Ticklepitcher's 
name  was  never  mentioned  without  a  sensation,  and  the  man 
who  claimed  it  was  as  queer  as  his  cognomen. 

The  paymaster's  clerk  told  the  ^^^y^aster  the  roll  was 
finished  and  all  were  present;  the  paymaster  reported  to  Mr. 
Felton,  who  reported  to  the  captain.  Captain  Prescott  then 
said  to  Mr.  Felton,  "  Hoist  the  colors,  sir !"  then,  as  they  were 
being  run  up,  he  stepped  upon  the  midshipman's  deck  and 
said: 

"  Officees  and  Men  of  the  Nautilus — It  is  with 
pleasure  that  I  take  command  of  this  beautiful  ship.  No 
finer  or  better  equipped  vessel  sails  the  sea,  and  I  expect  noble 
deeds  from  such  a  sturdy  crew  and  gallant  set  of  officers.  I 
shall  exact  implicit  obedience  from  all.  Naval  discipline  must 
be  maintained  from  stem  to  stern,  but  those  who  do  their  duty 
faithfully  will  find  me  a  kind  and  indulgent  commander.  The 
part  of  the  humblest  among  you  is  important  for  the  welfare  of 
all,  and  it  is  only  by  each  man  doing  his  best  that  perfect 
work  will  be  accomplished.  Let  us  then  pull  together,  each 
in  his  appointed  sphere,  in  order  that  we  may  achieve  a  name 
and  fame  for  the  good  ship  Nautilus  and  Our  Country.  Now, 
by  the  power  vested  in  me  by  the  Navy  Department,  at  Wash- 
ington, I  declare  the  United  States  Ship  Nautilus  in  com- 
mission." 

The  long  naval  pennant  had  reached  the  main  truck  and 
floated  out  on  the  breeze,  and  the  starry  ensign  curled  and 
waved  in  the  bright  sunlight  at  the  end  of  the  spanker  gaff. 
Then  Mr.  Felton  sprang  upon  the  steps  and  shouted,  "  Three 
cheers  for  the  good  ship  Nautilus  and  her  gallant  captain !" 


A    KAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  37 

The  loud  hurrahs  rang  out  across  the  water  from  over  a  hun- 
dred throats,  and  stopped  the  workmen  in  the  yard  by  their 
echoes  around  the  great  ship-liouses,  while  the  naval  band 
upon  the  wharf  struck  up  "  The  Star  Spangled  Banner." 
The  inspiriting  music  of  the  national  anthem  came,  like  the 
sounds  of  an  seolian  harp  upon  the  breeze,  and  caused  hearts 
to  beat  faster  and  eyes  to  shine  brighter  from  the  excitement 
of  the  occasion. 

The  crew  was  now  divided  into  a  port  and  a  starboard 
watch  ;  the  petty  officers  were  sent  to  their  duties  ;  the  warrant 
officers  were  instructed  to  take  charge  of  their  departments; 
the  commissioned  officers  were  requested  to  see  everything 
ready  for  sea  service,  and  were  appointed  to  the  watches.  Mr. 
Felton  had  already  made  out  his  "  Watch,  Quarter  and  Sta- 
tion Bills,"  and  had  only  to  fill  in  the  names.  He  proceeded 
with  the  deck  officer  to  organize  the  crew  and  instruct  each 
man  in  his  place  in  the  boats,  in  getting  under  way,  tacking 
ship,  coming  to  anchor,  putting  out  fire,  and  going  into  action. 

Harry  and  the  remainder  of  the  officers  busied  themselves 
in  unpacking  their  trunks  and  boxes  and  arranging  things  in 
their  state-rooms,  and  introductions  of  one  officer  to  another, 
with  friendly  courtesies  and  occasional  jokes,  soon  established 
a  brotherly  feeling  in  steerages  and  ward-room.  It  was  ru- 
mored that  the  Nautilus  was  to  be  the  Flag-ship  of  a  fleet, 
i.e.,  to  have  tiie  commodore  or  admiral  commanding  a  squad- 
ron on  board,  in  addition  to  her  full  complement  of  officers, 
and  that  the  latter  had  been  selected  with  care  because  of  the 
social  as  well  as  professional  duties  that  would  be  demanded 
of  them. 

Though  naval  officers  are  all  supposed  to  be  gentlemen,  and 
the  best  sailors  are  the  kindest  and  most  honorable  men,  there 
is  some  choice  when  one  comes  to  consider  social  etiquette, 
and  a  flag-ship  needs  and  generally  gets  the  best  material. 
Howbeit,  the  ])ersonnel  of  the  Nautilus  was  generally  excel- 
lent, though  events  ]iroved  that  there  were  a  few  persons  on 
board  whose  characters  were  somewhat  defective.  The  stew- 
ards, cooks  and  waiters  soon  had  their  departments  in  good 
order,  and  dinner  was  the  first  meal  served  on  board.  The 
executive  sat  at  the  starboard,  and  the  paymaster  at  the  port 


38  CRUISIKG   AND    BLOCKADING. 

end  of  the  long  table  ;  the  senior  officers  were  next  them  to  the 
right  and  left,  and  the  junior  officers  filled  up  the  middle. 
The  eight  officers,  who  formed  the  wardroom  mess,  had  the 
captain  for  a  guest  that  day,  and  they  discussed  the  viands 
and  wines,  the  ship,  the  prospective  cruise,  and  the  different 
events  of  the  war  on  land  and  sea  in  brotherly  love,  and  con- 
gratulated each  other  upon  the  prospect  of  glory  and  promo- 
tion. In  the  port  steerage,  six  assistant-engineers,  in  the 
starboard  steerage,  two  midshipmen,  two  master's-mates,  the 
paymaster's  clerk,  tiie  captain's  clerk  and  the  apothecary,  had 
an  equally  pleasant  time,  to  judge  by  the  laughter  that  occa- 
sionally came  through  the  bulkheads.  The  boatswain,  gunner, 
sailmaker  and  carpenter  dined  in  their  room  forward,  and  the 
sailors  and  marines  spread  their  square  mess-cloths  upon  the 
main-deck  around  the  galley  fire,  and,  sitting  cross-legged  by 
their  wooden  and  tin  dishes,  loaded  with  wholesome  food,  be- 
gan those  yarns  for  which  they  are  famous. 

Who  can  fitly  describe  the  inauguration  of  a  ship's  com- 
pany ?  It  would  require  the  pen  of  a  Hugo,  and  that  he 
should  serve  in  each  and  every  capacity.  An  official  order, 
signed  by  the  Secretary  of  the  Navy,  and  transmitted  through 
the  Commandant  of  the  navy  yard  to  Captain  Prescott,  was 
the  instrument  that  brought  all  this  life  together  into  moving, 
methodic  system.  The  captain  was  on  board,  the  pennant  at 
the  main  truck,  and,  henceforth,  all  was  to  move  with  that 
beautiful  precision  and  harmony  seen  on  board  of  a  well  dis- 
ciplined ship  and  in  the  workings  of  perfect  machinery. 

Every  day  at  9  a.m.,  the  drum  and  fife  called  to  quarters, 
and  the  ship's  company  was  drilled  carefully  and  patiently  in 
handling  the  guns,  boarding,  repelling  boarders,  and  in  using 
the  broadswords,  pikes  and  muskets.  At  other  times,  the 
men  were  exercised  in  getting  under  way,  tacking  ship,  wear- 
ing ship,  making  sail,  taking  in  sail,  sending  up  and  down 
spars,  coming  to  anchor,  putting  out  imaginary  fires,  and  get- 
ting out  the  boats.  Each  man  knew  his  number,  his  position 
and  duties ;  each  officer  had  his  place  and  a  particular  routine 
to  accomplish  with  the  men  under  his  charge,  and  everything 
went  like  clock-work. 

In  a  few  weeks  the  Nautilus  was  ready  for  sea;  the  sailing 


A    XAVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  39 

day  was  appointed  ;  the  Good-byes  were  said  ;  all  the  private 
stores  and  knicknacks  were  stowed  away ;  the  casks,  guns 
and  other  movable  things  were  securely  lashed ;  the  heavy 
boats  taken  on  board,  and  the  others  hoisted  up  to  the 
davits. 


40  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


It  was  a  dear,  cold  December  day,  that  steam  was  gotten 
up;  the  pilot  taken  on  board  ;  the  anchor  hove  up,  catted  and 
secured,  and  the  Nautilus  steamed  down  the  Delaware,  receiv- 
ing cheers  and  salutes  from  the  neighboring  vessels  and  giving 
hearty  ones  in  return.  The  dense  blocks  of  buildings  faded 
in  the  distance;  the  scattered  cottages  and  imposing  villas 
along  the  banks  and  shores  became  less  and  less  distinct ;  the 
men  and  officers  were  called  from  their  stations ;  the  pilot, 
officer-of-the-deck  and  executive  held  possession  of  the  bridge; 
two  men  at  the  wheel  steered  according  to  orders,  watched  by 
a  quartermaster;  a  lookout  on  the  forecastle  and  another  upon 
the  midshipman's  deck  walked  forwards  and  backwards,  and 
all  day  long  there  was  heard  the  hum  of  active  men,  the  sharp 
orders,  the  shrill  Avhistle  of  the  boatswain's  mates,  and  the  dull 
thud  and  whirr  of  the  screw,  driving  the  Nautilus  towards  the 
ojien  sea. 

The  pilot  was  discharged  at  the  Breakwater;  Cape  Hen- 
lopen  light  w^as  passed  during  the  nigiit,  and  those  who  loved 
the  deep  blue  sea  rejoiced  at  feeling  the  dancing  billows  be- 
neath their  feet  and  the  saline  breeze  in  their  nostrils.  When 
morning  dawned,  a  low  line  of  sand  upon  the  western  horizon 
showed  that  the  Nautilus  was  running  down  the  coast,  and 
even  this  remnant  of  mother  earth  was  soon  lost  in  the  mist 
and  the  blue  haze  of  extreme  distance. 

Mr.  Felton  had  turned  in  at  midnight,  and  the  watch  officer 
had  taken  to  pacing  the  quarter-deck,  glad  to  shield  himself 
behind  the  bulwarks  from  the  piercing  wind.  The  decks  were 
holystoned  and  washed  down;  the  skylights,  gratings  and  steps 
scrubbed;  the  ashes  hoisted  overboard  out  of  the  fire-room  ; 
the  running  rigging  hauled  taut  and  coiled  down  in  circles 
and  figures  of  eight;  and  all  hammocks  piped  up  and  stowed, 
as  is  usual  on  board  ship  before  breaki\ist,  and,  when  the  ex- 
ecutive came  up  on  deck  at  seven-bells,  the  ship  looked  as  trim 
as  a  bride  arrayed  for  a  wedding.     The  watch  below  was  then 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   AVAR.  41 

piped  to  breakfast,  and,  at  eight-bells,  came  on  deck  to  relieve 
the  morning  watch,  and  another  wardroom  officer,  who  had 
jdst  breakfasted,  relieved  the  deck-officer,  Master  Sanborn, 

Mr.  Sanborn  was  a  large,  strong,  blonde  young  man,  with  a 
face  as  round  as  the  sun  and  beaming  with  health  and  good 
nature.  He  was  conscientious  in  his  duties,  slow  and  methodi- 
cal in  action,  rather  firm  in  his  opinions,  kind  and  considerate 
of  others,  and,  withal,  so  full  of  good  humor  and  a  disposition 
to  look  on  the  bright  side  of  every  thing,  that  he  was  a  favorite 
with  both  officers  and  men.  Just  as  he  came  down  the  ward- 
room steps,  the  ship  gave  a  lurch,  he  missed  a  step  and  came 
down  flat  on  the  deck,  so  easily,  that  the  officers  of  the  mess, 
who  were  still  at  table,  knew  he  was  not  hurt. 

Several  laughed.  Mr.  Felton  said,  "  I  hope  you  are  not 
hurt,  Mr.  Sanborn?" 

"  Oh,  no, "  said  he,  "  I  only  came  down  on  a  run.  " 

"  You'd  better  look  out,  "  said  Lieut.  Ashton  ;  "  the  doc- 
tor hasn't  unpacked  his  splints  yet." 

"  I'm  not  afraid  of  either  splints  or  splinters,  "  was  the  re- 
ply, as  the  victim  of  the  faux  p«s  rubbed  his  elbow, "  but  I'm 
as  hungry  as  a  shark.  If  any  of  you  poor,  thin  staff  officers 
waTit  to  get  an  appetite,  go  on  deck  for  an  hour  <n'  two  and 
you'll  want  a  second  breakfast.  It's  lovely  up  there.  The 
wind  is  coming  off"  the  shore  in  elegant  puffs,  and  I  smell  old 
Virginia  as  plain  as  a  nosegay."  With  this  speech,  he  took 
his  place  at  the  table  and  began  upon  his  breakfast,  which  one 
of  the  colored  wardroom  boys  had  brought  hot  from  the  gal- 
ley. 

Mr.  Felton  said,  "  I  think  we're  going  to  get  fourteen  knots 
out  of  the  ship  after  the  engine  gets  well  greased.  How  is  the 
machine  working  now,  Mr.  Lawson?" 

"  Very  well  indeed,  sir.  There  is  a  little  roughness  here 
and  there  in  the  valves  and  bearings,  but  I  think  a  week's 
run  will  make  them  as  smooth  as  glass.  These  contract  en- 
gines are  never  up  to  the  mark,  as  they  used  to  be  before  the 
war.  I  suppose  the  shops  are  too  hard  pushed,  but  it  takes  a 
little  while  to  find  out  the  qualities  of  an  engine,  just  as  it  does 
those  of  a  horse.  A  horse  will  make  better  speed  one  day 
than  another,  when  all  the  circumstances  and  conditions  seem 
the  same,  and  it's  just  so  with  an  engine;  a  man  must  study 
4 


42  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

its  mechanism,  its  movements,  its  whims,  so  to  speak,  and 
then,  when  he  gets  his  mind  into  harmony  and  sympathy  with 
it,  he  can  get  better  work  out  of  it  than  any  one  else.  I  try 
to  get  my  assistants  to  consider  their  duty  in  this  way,  but 
they  listen  gravely  and  tlien  Uiugh  behind  my  back.  I  know 
I'm  right,  sir,  and  I'll  prove  it  before  the  cruise  is  over." 
Having  delivered  this  speech  with  an  earnest  voice,  the  chief- 
engineer's  face  flushed  and  his  eyes  shone  brilliantly  as  he 
looked  around  the  table. 

"  You  are  perhaps  right,"  said  Mi-.  Felton,  approvingly. 
"Study  and  ex])erience  can  accomplish  great  things  in  the 
world.  Steam  has  properties  that  command  respect.  Watt 
and  Fulton  would  be  astounded  to  go  into  our  engine-rooul 
and  see  the  improvements  there  exhibited  in  the  application  of 
steam  as  a  motor." 

Just  then  there  was  a  loud  report;  Lawson  turned  pale  and 
rushed  through  the  country  to  the  engine-room,  followed  as 
far  as  the  door  by  the  executive,  while  the  officer-of-the-deck 
leaned  over  the  hatch  coamings  above  and  asked,  "  What's  the 
matter  down  there  ?" 

No  steam  M'as  heard  escaping,  and  the  screw  kept  up  its 
steady  action.  The  chief  soon  returned  and  rejjorted  to  the 
ofli(!er-of-the-deck,  the  executive,  the  captain  and  others,  that 
little  damage  had  been  done — only  one  of  the  condenser  bon- 
nets had  burst.  After  general  quarters  and  some  drill  with 
the  guns,  the  wardroom  officers  assembled  below,  reading, 
writing  and  talking. 

''  I  wonder  where  we  are  bound,"  said  Mr.  Ashton,  with  a 
significant  glance  at  Mr.  Felton. 

The  executive  looked  up  a  moment,  but  said  nothing.  He 
was  intently  studying  a  chart  of  the  West  Indies  spread  out 
upon  the  table.  He  was  a  man  of  medium  size  and  delicate 
build;  his  face  was  of  a  pure  Grecian  type;  wavy  black  hair 
clustered  around  his  high  forehead  and  prominent  temples;  a 
long  moustache  curled  over  the  coroners  of  his  sensitive  mouth, 
and  his  eyes  were  of  that  soft,  deep  black,  which  tells  of  ardent 
atfections  and  passions.  His  graceful  bearing,  finished  cour- 
tesy, superior  education  and  just  discrimination,  marked  him 
as  one  of  nature's  noblemen,  who  would  be  generous  and  just 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  43 

to  those  who  did  right,  and  unfriendly,  perliaps,  to  no  one  but 
himself. 

"  The  captain  has  sealed  orders,"  said  he  at  last.  "  They 
will  be  opened  when  we  get  in  the  latitude  of  Cape  Charles." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  a  roving  commission,"  said  Sanborn. 
"  I  would  like  to  get  a  crack  with  our  heavy  Parrott  at  some 
of  those  long,  low,  rakish  privateers,  that  are  picking  up  so 
many  of  our  merchantmen.  My  brother's  ship  was  captured 
off  Bermuda,  on  her  return  voyage  from  Brazil,  last  month, 
and  the  whole  crew  was  set  afloat  in  a  long-boat  and  reached 
St.  Georges  after  much  suffering." 

"  What  vessel  captured  her?"  asked  Mr.  Ashton. 

"  I  did  not  learn  her  name ;  I  suppose  it  was  the  Florida  or 
Alabama,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Well,  you'll  have  to  catch  them  in  a  trap  to  get  them 
within  range,"  spoke  up  Surgeon  Willett.  "  We  sighted  them 
several  times  last  voyage,  but  they  showed  clean  heels  and  ran 
us  out  of  sight  in  no  time.  It's  my  opinion  they  can  steam 
twenty  knots  an  liour  when  they  are  pressed." 

"Those  English  engines  are  the  finest  in  the  world,"  said 
Mr.  Law^son.  "  It  is  perfectly  astonishing  w^hat  work  can  be 
gotten  out  of  them  month  after  month.  They  seldom  need 
repairs,  last  a  long  time,  and  produce  a  uniform  and  high  rate 
of  speed.  It's  mortifying  to  chase  one  of  the  English  blockade- 
runners,  with  even  one  of  our  best  steamships,  and  have  them 
get  hull  doW'U  in  a  few  hours.  It  is  my  opinion  our  Govern- 
ment ought  either  to  remodel  and  improve  our  marine  engines, 
or  else  buy  a  few  across  the  water." 

Lawson's  face  flushed,  as  he  delivered  this  speech  and 
noticed  the  earnest  eyes  of  the  executive  fixed  upon  him.  It 
was  not  patriotic  to  talk  in  this  manner,  but  all  who  had  been 
in  service  during  the  war  felt  the  truth  of  his  remarks. 

Mr.  Lawson  was  a  remarkable  man.  His  features  were 
regular;  his  eyes  deep  blue;  his  face  was  that  pure  pink  and 
white  seen  only  in  perfect  blondes,  and  his  fine  yellow-brown 
hair  and  whiskers  clustered  around  his  face  and  served  to 
partly  hide  the  tell-tale  expressions  which  were  constantly 
flitting  over  it  from  his  lively  thoughts.  When  he  spoke,  he 
generally  communicated  something  worth  knowing,  and  all 
were  glad  to  listen  to  him. 


14  CRUISIXG   AND    BLOCKADING. 

"What  can  politicians  know  about  marine  engines?"  said 
Ashton  snecringly.  "  The  men  who  rule  onr  destinies  come 
from  counters,  warehouses  and  law  offices,  and  know  nothing 
about  the  exigencies  of  a  Navy  Department.  I  heard  the 
other  day,  that  our  Honorable  Secretary  was  walking  through 
one  of  the  navy  yards  and  stumbled  over  a  bale  of  oakum. 
'  What  is  that?'  said  he,  to  the  officer  who  was  showing  him 
around. 

"  '  A  bale  of  oakum,  sii\' 

"  '  A  bale  of  oakum  ?     Where  does  that  stuff  grow?' 

"The  offi.^er  explained  that  it  was  made  from  old  hemp 
rope." 

Some  of  the  officers  laughed.  Mr.  Felton  looked  grave 
and  said,  "  Mr.  Ashton,  you  will  not  forget  that  the  Honorable 
Secretary  is  your  superior  officer." 

"No,  sir,  I  will  not  forget  it,"  said  he,  biting  his  lips  to 
keep  from  laughing. 

Ashton  was  a  brunette,  with  an  unjdeasant  countenance. 
The  expression  of  his  eyes  was  restless  and  snaky.  The  lines 
about  his  mouth,  partly  hidden  by  a  thin  moustache,  showed 
that  sneering  hatl  been  very  frequent.  He  was  insinuating, 
servile  and  hypocritical  to  superiors;  haughty,  arrogant  and 
severe  to  inferiors.  He  was  quiet,  uncommunicative  and 
often  morose;  he  seemed  to  be  always  on  the  watch  for 
something,  and  as  sly  and  mysterious  as  a  cat ;  he  did  a  great 
deal  of  thinking,  but  rarely  let  any  one  know  what  he  was 
thinking  about.  A  single  incident  will  throw  some  light  upon 
his  character.  Careswell  was  stationed  upon  the  forecastle,  at 
general  quarters,  and  had  charge  of  the  Parrott  gun.  It  was 
found  in  exercising  and  pivoting  the  gun  from  side  to  side, 
that  the  shifting  tackles  were  not  necessary,  and  a  rope,  with 
a  hook  in  one  end  to  catch  into  a  side  eye-bolt,  enabled  the 
gun's  crew  to  handle  the  gun  with  great  rapidity.  Harry 
reported  the  fact  to  Ashton,  who  was  ordnance  officer,  and  he 
said,  "  Work  the  gun  as  you  please,  and  take  the  tackles  off." 
Harry  told  one  of  the  men  to  remove  the  tackles  and  to 
deliver  them  to  the  yeoman.  This  was  done  and,  a  day  or 
two  afterwards,  Harry  was  surprised  to  learn  that  Ashton  had 
reported  him  to  the  executive  for  "  giving  two  gun-tackles  to 
the  boatswain."     Mr.  Felton  asked  Harry  about  the  tackles, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    I.ATE   WAR.  45 

and  was  satisfied  with  tlie  explanation.  The  technical  mistake 
was  in  not  turning  tiiem  over  to  the  gunner. 

Ashton  was  guilty  of  little  meannesses  like  this  very  fre- 
quently, as  much  from  his  desire  to  harass  others,  as  to  advance 
his  own  importance  in  the  minds  of  his  superiors,  and,  it  is 
needless  to  say,  was  held  in  general  contempt. 

Harry  had  been  so  busy  since  coming  on  board,  that  he  had 
not  had  much  time  to  talk  to  Dayton,  Avho  was  in  the  port 
steerage,  but  he  visited  both  steerages  one  evening  and  made 
the  acquaintance  of  all  the  officers.  He  found  Dayton  and 
Webster  discussing  the  proper  translation  of  a  phrase  in  Cfesar. 
Dayton  took  it  apart,  gave  the  declension  of  this  and  the 
conjugation  of  that  word,  and  the  relations  of  all  the  parts  of 
the  sentences  so  clearly  and  rapidly,  as  to  excite  the  surprise 
of  all.  He  repeated  considerable  of  the  first  page  of  Csesar's 
Commentaries  verbatim,  and  exhibited  great  familiarity  with 
the  writings  of  Cicero,  Virgil  and  Horace.  This  was  done  in 
the  course  of  conversation  with  the  different  gentlemen,  some 
of  whom  aired  their  knowledge  of  the  classics  by  referring  to 
one  or  the  other  of  the  authors  named.  It  was  developed 
later,  that  Webster,  who  was  a  third-assistant  engineer,  was 
secretly  preparing  for  college,  and  Dayton  hel|)ed  him  greatly, 
not  only  in  Latin,  but  in  Greek,  of  which  language  he  had, 
also,  a  very  considerable  knowledge.  This  evening,  however, 
the  conversation  drifted  on  to  the  modern  languages.  Several 
of  the  engineers  and  midshipmen  spoke  French  and  Spanish, 
and  one  of  the  former,  named  Hanson,  French  and  German. 
Dayton  knew  the  French  better  than  most  of  them,  and  talked 
German  with  Hanson,  a  native  of  Prussia,  with  the  fluency 
and  ease  of  a  Hanoverian. 

Gardner  was  one  of  the  best  educated  of  the  engineers,  and 
he  expressed  the  opinion  of  all  by  saying,  "  Dayton,  you  are  a 
philological  curiosity.  How  in  the  world  have  you  ever 
acquired  these  languages  so  well,  and,  yet,  had  time  to  master 
the  technical  education  required  of  a  graduate  of  the  Poly- 
technic?" 

"How?  By  beginning  early,  and  by  persistent  digging. 
I  got  my  Greek,  Latin  and  myopia  before  I  was  seventeen, 
and  took  my  moderns  at  Troy.  I  keep  up  a  little  reading  in 
all  of  the  languages  every  week,  so  as  to  hold  what  I  have 
and  make  further  progress.     That  is  the  secret  of  knowledge — 


46  CRUJSIXGt   AND   BLOCKADING. 

hold  and  get.  Any  intelligent  person  can  become  a  fair  lin- 
guist by  persistent  study." 

Dayton  became  an  authority  in  the  steerage,  and,  by  his 
modest  efforts,  infused  a  desire  for  culture  there  which  bore 
rich  fruits. 

The  next  morning  the  ship  was  headed  westward,  and  it 
Avas  soon  known  that  the  Nautilus  was  ordered  to  Norfolk. 
Hampton  Roads  were  reached  in  the  afternoon,  the  anchor 
was  dropped,  Captain  Prescott  reported  to  the  Captain  of  the 
Minnesota,  and  then  went  on  shore  and  paid  his  respects  to 
the  General  in  command  of  Fortress  Monroe. 

There  was  news  that  the  Confederates  were  giving  the 
soldiers  plenty  of  work  at  Suffolk  and  threatening  an  advance 
upon  Norfolk,  and  the  naval  force  was  needed  for  the  defence 
of  the  city. 

How  beautiful  the  land  looked  after  the  short  voyage ! 
The  shores  and  trees  still  held  their  summer  green,  tinged 
here  and  there  by  the  brown  footsteps  of  autumn.  Fort 
Monroe  stood  silent  and  sullen  upon  the  right;  sentinels 
paced  its  parapet ;  the  flag  of  the  Union  upon  its  staff  snapped 
sharply  in  the  wind,  and  great  black  guns  frowned  upon  every 
side.  The  light-house,  the  wharf  and  the  great  Union  and 
Floyd  guns  upon  a  heap  of  sand  on  the  shore,  relieved  the  eye 
glancing  seaward.  Midway  in  the  Roads  stood  the  unfinished, 
yet,  formidable  Rip  Raps  Fort,  garrisoned  by  soldiers  and 
crowded  by  laborers,  who  were,  busy  working  the  huge  der- 
ricks and  ponderous  stones  to  complete  the  massive  walls. 
Just  above,  two  English  men-of-war  and  several  wooden  and 
iron-clad  U.  S.  vessels  swung  at  their  anchors,  and  a  few  small 
craft  were  flitting  across  the  haven.  The  little  village  of 
Hampton  lay  in  the  cove  above  Monroe,  and,  uj)on  the  wooded 
bluff,  far  up  the  shore,  one  could  see  the  rude  shanties  and 
tents  and  the  long  line  of  army  wagons  of  an  encampment, 
with  a  little  wharf  and  a  transport-steamer  in  front. 

The  James  river  stretched  away  like  a  great  bay  beyond, 
and  the  eye  took  up  the  misty  outlines  of  the  opposite  shore 
and  traced  them  outwards  past  the  entrance  of  Elizabeth 
river  and  Norfolk,  until  it  rested  upon  the  wooded  bluff  of 
Sewell's  Point. 

This  was  the  scene  of  two  of  the  most  thrilling  naval  battles 
of  the  war.     Here  the  Congress  and  Cumberland  were  de-^ 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  47 

stroyed  by  the  Merrimac.  Here  the  little  Monitor  fought  a 
fierce  battle  with  that  celebrated  ironclad,  and  drove  her, 
shattered  and  defeated,  back  to  her  lair. 

Mark  yon  there  near  the  shore  that  rough,  charred  line  of 
oaken  ribs  projecting  a  few  feet  above  the  tide?  Those  are 
the  remains  of  the  funeral  pyre  of  brave  men — the  vestige  of 
the  U.  S.  frigate  Congress.  Out  beyond  in  deeper  water  lies 
the  sloop-of-war  Cumberland,  with  only  her  tops  and  a  little 
of  the  lower  masts  above  the  surface — melancholy  monuments 
to  the  heroes,  who  fought  her  batteries  until  the  hungry  sea 
lap|>ed  up  her  decks  and  swallowed  all. 

The  Nautilus  was  much  admired  by  army  men,  and  there 
were  a  great  many  visitors  on  board  whom  it  was  necessary  to 
entertain.  This  interfered  somewhat  with  discipline,  but  a 
great  deal  of  drilling  was  done  daily.  It  was  reported  by  a 
dispatch-boat,  that  there  were  six  Confederate  ironclads  below 
the  obstructions  in  James  river.  The  small  arms  and  heavy 
guns  were  loaded  ;  a  buoy  was  placed  for  slipi)ing  the  cable ; 
steam  was  kept  up,  and  a  most  vigilant  watch  was  maintained. 
During  the  day,  only  one  boat  at  a  time  was  permitted  to  go 
ashore,  and  her  officer  had  to  look  out  for  instant  recall.  The 
English  ships  had  music  on  board  every  night,  and,  on  one 
occasion,  the  crews  sang  the  "Bonnie  Blue  Flag."  The  next 
day  some  of  the  singers  were  soundly  thrashed  in  Hampton 
by  a  Nautilus  boat's  crew.  Ashton  was  in  chartre  of  the  l)oat 
and  said  he  could  not  prevent  the  fight.  He  said,  "  the 
English  officer  was  a  dandy  and  had  a  light  cane.  I  asked 
him  why  he  carried  it.  He  replied,  'Oh,  it's  so  jolly,  you 
know.'     That  made  me  sick,  and  I  left  him  in  disgust." 

No  one  was  favorably  impressed  with  the  scions  of  nobility 
belonging  to  the  English  navy,  perhaj)s,  because  of  their 
known  sympathy  for  the  Southern  cause;  but  the  discipline 
on  board  their  vessels  was  fine,  showing  the  advantage  of 
shipping  men  for  a  long  term  of  service. 

During  the  Avar,  our  naval  vessels  were  manned  partly  by 
farmer-boys,  mechanics  and  longshore-men,  all  good  men 
after  they  had  been  trained,  but  it  tried  the  patience  of  the 
officers  much  to  get  them  into  fighting  order. 

Several  times  during  the  period  the  Nautilus  lay  in  the 
Roads,  suspicious  craft  were  seen  in  the  James,  and  all  hands 


48  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

were  called  to  quarters,  only  to  be  dismissed  again,  when  it 
was  found  that  no  enemy  was  approaching.  The  Nautilus 
went  up  to  Norfolk  iu  a  few  days,  anchored  off  the  city,  took 
out  a  kedge-anchor  and  cable  astern,  swung  round  broadside 
to  the  railroad  bridge,  and  trained  her  guns  upon  it. 

A  council  was  held  with  the  General  commanding,  and 
instructions  were  received  to  destroy  the  bridge,  if  the  enemy 
approached,  and,  under  certain  circumstances,  to  bombard  the 
city.  The  dull  boom  of  heavy  guns  day  and  night  in  the 
direction  of  Suffolk;  the  departure  of  gunboats,  and  their 
return,  riddled  by  shot  and  shell,  and  bringing  wounded  and 
dead  to  the  Marine  Hospital  below  Portsmouth  ;  the  reports  of 
Longstreet's  attempt  to  erect  batteries  upon  the  Nanseraond, 
in  order  to  drive  supply  vessels  and  gunboats  out  of  the  river ; 
the  sentinels  all  around  the  city  ;  the  couriers  riding  hastily 
over  the  hills,  and  the  frequent  communications  with  the  fleet 
below ;  all  indicated  that  it  was  war  times,  and  kept  the 
officers  and  men  of  the  Nautilus  alert  and  anxious. 

Though  the  occasion  would  have  been  deprecated,  there 
was  a  desire  upon  the  part  of  many  to  try  the  guns  upon  the 
bridge  and  to  knock  down  a  few  houses,  to  repay  the  inhabi- 
tants of  Norfolk  for  their  insulting  and  hostile  conduct. 

Portsmouth  and  Norfolk  were  in  great  contrast  to  the  clean 
and  thriving  cities  of  the  North.  War  had  paralyzed  their 
commerce;  emptied  their  docks;  taken  away  all  the  able- 
bodied  men,  and  left  the  women,  the  negroes  and  the  crippled, 
infirm,  and  sneaking  white  men  behind. 

Longstreet  was  finally  repulsed  at  Suffolk  ;  the  crisis  passed, 
and  free  communication  was  permitted  with  the  shore. 

The  Gosport  Navy  Yard  was  a  sad  sight — a  ruin  of  black- 
ened timbers,  charred  and  sunken  ships,  piles  of  bricks  and 
stone  and  ghostly,  windowless  walls.  The  sloop-of-war  Ply- 
mouth, dear  to  the  hearts  of  midshipmen,  showed  only  a  line 
of  blackened  ribs  above  the  water.  Patriotic  hands  had 
l)urned  and  sunk  her,  and  saved  her  from  profanation.  Would 
they  had  been  as  completely  successful  with  the  Merrimac, 
then  she  would  not  have  been  so  formidable  in  the  defence  of 
Norfolk,  and,  finally,  laid  her  shattered  frame  u|)on  the  sand 
beach  below,  like  the  skeleton  of  a  warrior  who  has  not 
deserved  burial. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  49 


CHAPTER  V. 

The  buildings  upon  botli  sides  of  Elizabeth  river  had  an 
antiquated,  substantial,  quiet  appearance,  that  reminded  one 
of  the  Wm.  Penn  district  of  Philadelphia.  They  seemed  to 
have  been  built  for  utility  rather  than  show,  and  ornamenta- 
tion, even  upon  the  churches  and  public  buildings,  was  reduced 
to  a  minimum.  Granby  and  Freemason  streets,  in  Norfolk, 
contained  numerous  portly  mansions,  belonging  to  the  wealthier 
people,  and  markedly  in  contrast  with  their  surroundings,  but 
they  could  not  be  considered  fine  buildings.  Throughout  the 
city  a  Sabbath  quiet  prevailed.  Very  many  of  the  houses  had 
tlie  curtains  down,  the  shutters  closed,  the  door-steps  dusty, 
and  the  yards  full  of  dirty  paths  and  untrimmed  bushes, 
showing  the  absence  of  care-takers,  the  lack  of  interest  in 
present  things,  the  hopelessness  of  a  conquered  city.  Some 
residents  let  their  property  get  in  this  unattractive  state,  so 
that  not  a  verdant  shrub  or  tender  flower  should  gladden  the 
hearts  of  the  enemy  patrolling  the  streets.  Many  persons,  if 
they  had  followed  their  inclinations,  would  have  planted  net- 
tles and  wormwood,  only  they  were  afraid  there  might  be 
some  personal  application  made  to  themselves. 

Here  and  there  throughout  the  city  of  Norfolk,  clean  walks 
and  grounds,  open  shutters,  drawn  lace  curtains  and,  some- 
times, smiling  faces,  indicated  the  homes  of  Union  families, 
and  such  oases  in  the  desert  of  rebel  indiiference  were  exceed- 
ingly pleasant  to  the  hearts  of  Northern  men.  It  is  a  pecu- 
liar and  decidedly  unpleasant  feeling  that  one  experiences, 
when  surrounded  by  even  helpless  enemies. 

Away  from  the  main  streets,  very  few  people  were  seen,  and 
those  mostly  negroes,  slouching  along  with  bundles  or  baskets. 
In  the  heart  of  the  city,  at  the  markets  and  stores,  there  was 
a  motley  crowd  of  negroes,  bilious,  lank-faced  white  men,  and 
blue-coated  soldiers  of  the  U.  S.  array.  The  latter  came  and 
went,  saying  little,  but  keeping  sharp  eyes  upon  the  loungers. 


50  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

The  prinoipal  business  of  the  otliers  seemed  to  be  to  cliew  to- 
bacco, tell  stories,  and  sleep  in  the  shadows  of  the  buildings. 

Three-quarters  of  the  stores  were  closed  and  their  walls  and 
windows  covered  by  jiosters  of  concerts,  theaters  and  regi- 
ments. The  open  stores  did  a  poor  business  with  the  soldiers, 
sailors  and  the  few  residents  who  had  any  money  to  spend. 
There  were  several  distinct  castes  noticeable  in  the  streets  at 
all  times.  The  negroes  were  most  numerous  and  amusing. 
They  were  dressed  in  all  kinds  of  garments,  the  cast  off  clothes 
of  the  higher  classes.  The  men  were  partial  to  highly-colored, 
variegated  vests  and  broad-brimmed  hats ;  the  women,  to  bright 
calico  and  red  bandanna  handkerchiefs.  Here  and  there,  a 
soldier's  cast-otf  cap,  pants  or  overcoat  helped  out  the  civilian 
rags.  The  great  lips  and  j)ouchy  cheeks,  broad  noses,  densely- 
curled,  woolly  hair,  dirty  bodies  and  lazy  attitudes  of  these 
contrabands,  made  them  a  striking  contrast  to  the  clean,  in- 
telligent negroes  of  the  North  and  to  the  colored  men  of  the 
Nautilus. 

Joshua,  one  of  the  wardroom  boys,  said,  "  Dem  niggers 
ashore  is  no  good — all  animals.  I  saw  seberal  ob  dera  wid  de 
teeth  sharp  like  a  shark's.  I  specs  dey  was  cannibals  'fore  dey 
com'd  here.  I  Mouldn't  like  to  be  alone  wid  dem  in  dedark, 
if  dey  was  hungry.  Dey'd  eat  a  fellar  shuar!"  This  was 
acute  criticism  upon  the  lowest  of  his  race. 

The  poor  white  men,  holding  up  the  corners  of  the  city,  and 
telling  stories  of  their  experience,  formed  a  distinct  class. 
They  were  not  much  better  dressed  than  the  negroes,  but  wore 
many  garments  of  butternut,  gray  and  blue  colors,  having  brass 
buttons  and  other  unmistakable  marks  of  the  soldier.  They 
were  not  prepossessing  in  countenance  ;  their  faces  were  lank 
■and  sallow;  the  whiskers  and  moustache  were  thin,  long  and 
wiry;  the  hair  swept  over  low  foreheads  and  behind  the  ears; 
the  necks  craned  forwards ;  the  shoulders  were  stooped,  and 
the  limbs  were  flung  out  from  the  spare  trunk,  as  if  the  mus- 
cles were  not  developed  sufficiently  to  handle  them  with  pre- 
cision. The  wives  of  these  men  were  very  much  like  them  in 
build  and  attractiveness,  and  seemed  always  hard-worked  and 
disconsolate. 

The  men  never  cared  for  the  future,  worked  only  when  it 
was  necessary,  were  said  not  to  respect  the  rights  of  property 


A    NAVAL   STOUY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  51 

in  country  districts,  and  considered  it  the  height  of  felicity 
to  tell  stories,  drink  whiskey,  and  consume  tobacco.  They 
were  ignorant,  and  knew  almost  nothing  of  the  world  outside 
of  their  own  county ;  were  miserably  poor,  having  only  the 
fewest  household  goods,  a  gun  and  a  dog,  and  depended  upon 
hunting,  fishing,  odd  jobs  and  charity  for  a  living.  Tiiey  had 
little  patriotism  or  love  for  the  chivalry;  were  hard  to  kcpp 
in  the  army,  and  were  looked  upon  with  suspicion  by  the 
planters  and  with  contempt  by  the  negroes. 

The  "po'  white  trash  "  was  fastened  upon  this  class  of  hu- 
manity by  the  latter,  with  whom  they  often  came  in  conflict, 
years  ago,  and  seemed  so  appropriate  that  it  has  remained  to 
distinguisli  a  distinct  class  in  the  Sonthern  States  to  this  day. 

The  groups  around  the  market-phuie  of  Norfolk  had  some 
of  the  genuine  sort,  as  one  could  determine  by  listening  a 
short  time  to  the  story  telling  and  profanity,  but  mingled  with 
them  were  the  longshore-men  and  laborers  of  the  city  who  had 
escaped  enrollment  into  the  Confederate  army  or  had  deserted 
afterwards. 

The  negroes  were  always  full  of  smiles  and  bows,  when 
U.  S.  officers  passed  them,  and  invarial)ly  took  off  their  hats 
and  said,  ''Good  mornin',  Massa  Captain,"  or  "Good  ebenin', 
Massa  Colonel."  The  white  loungers  generally  cleared  the 
walks  and  a  few  touched  their  liats,  but  other  salutations  were 
rare.  Tlie  storekee])ers  were  barely  polite,  and  could  not  be 
drawn  into  any  war  talk.  One  could  not  blame  them.  They 
were  in  the  power  of  the  United  States;  the  guns  at  Suffolk 
and  upon  the  Nansemond  had  been  making  sweet  music  in  the 
ears  of  every  friend  of  the  Confederacy,  telling  them  their 
army  was  near.  Perhaps  within  a  week,  the  stars  and  bars 
of  their  country  would  wave  over  them  again.  Conservatism 
under  such  circumstances  was  eminently  wise. 

Occasionally  one  would  meet  old  men,  with  silvery  hair 
and  moustache,  erect  and  stately  form,  and  that  dignified  cour- 
tesy that  distinguishes  a  gentleman.  They  invariably  bowed 
slightly  to  all  otiicers,  though  they  knew  them  as  enemies,  and 
passed  on  in  reflective  mood.  Tiie  girls  and  young  ladies 
about  the  city  could  not  restrain  their  curiosity  to  get  good 
views  of  the  naval  officers,  and,  though  they  would  dodge 
from  the  doors  and  windows,  hide  behind  fences  and  corners, 


OZ  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

get  entirely  off  the  walk,  turn  tlieir  faces  away  and  even  hold 
their  dresrses  back,  so  that  no  touch  of  the  North  should  pol- 
lute them,  they  would  relax  their  vigilance,  when  they  thought 
they  were  not  observed,  and  look  with  the  greatest  eagerness. 

Master  Bloss  was  a  large  man,  with  brilliant  black  eyes, 
black  hair  and  moustache,  and  clean-cut  lips  that  could  roll 
out  the  most  exquisite  English.  He  was  an  active  and  faith- 
i'ul  officer ;  always  up  in  professional  studies  and  general  lite- 
rature, and  exceedingly  fond  of  a  cigar,  a  bottle  of  wine,  and 
a  good  story.  He  averted  threatening  quarrels  among  his 
messmates  by  a  flash  of  wit  or  an  apropos  quotation,  and  was 
a  great  favorite  on  board  ship.  Such  men  are  the  salt  of 
sea-life. 

Ashton  and  Lawson  had  been  ashore  one  afternoon,  and 
came  on  board  just  before  sujiper  not  in  pleasant  mood. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Mr.  Ashton  ;  did  you  meet  with  any 
mishap  ashore?"  asked  Sanborn. 

"Mishap!  No;  we  were  insulted  repeatedly  by  the  people 
along  the  street.  I  don't  see  why  the  Provost  Marshal  allows 
U.  S.  officers  to  be  abused  in  his  department.  I'd  blow  the 
place  up  first." 

"Why,  how  was  it?"  a&iked  several. 

"Weil,  we  were  going  along  to  look  at  the  crib,  and  three  . 
or  four  females  yelled  out  of  a   window,  'See  those  nasty 
Yankee  officers !'     We  lifted  our  caps  and  went  on." 

"  Nothing  but  giddy  girls,  I  suppose,"  said  Careswell. 

"  A  little  rosebud  set  in  wilful  thorns, 
And  sweet  as  English  air  could  make  her," 

chimed  in  Bloss. 

"  Yes,  sweet  and  dirty,"  replied  Lawson. 

"  We  went  up  the  hill,  and  a  lot  of  street  loafers  cried,  '  See 
them  Lincolnites,  nigger  lovers,  abolitionists!'  I  swear  I 
would  have  killed  some  of  them,  if  I'd  had  a  revolver  along," 
said  Ashton,  and  his  eyes  flashed  wickedly. 

"  To  cap  the  climax,"  said  Ijawson,  "  we  met  a  very  beau- 
tiful young  lady,  handsomely  dressed,  near  the  Baptist  church  ; 
she  could  not  get  off  the  walk  into  the  dirty  street,  and  so 
stepped  inside  the  walk  near  the  fence,  drew  her  skirts  closely 


A    XAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    I,ATE    WAR.  53 

around  her  legs,  so  as  not  to  touch  us,  and  when  we  went  by 
hissed  at  us  like  a  venomous  reptile." 

"Well,  you  were  particularly  unfortunate;  you  must  have 
had  the  appearance  of  conquering  heroes,  or  you  would  not 
have  awakened  so  much  rebellion,"  remarked  Felton. 

"Mr.  Dayton  and  I  had  some  adventures  last  Sunday 
which  were  almost  as  bad,"  said  Careswell.  "Several  ladies 
held  their  dresses  away  and  got  off  the  walk,  as  if  we  were 
bales  of  small-pox.  Some  girls  at  the  church  entrance  called 
us '  Lincoln's  hirelings,' '  Yankee  abolitionists,' '  Nigger  lovers.' 
When  we  went  into  church,  no  one  would  give  us  a  seat.  We 
marched  well  up  front  and  took  a  pew,  with  an  aristocratic 
name  on  the  door-plate,  elegant  cushions  and  finely  gilded  and 
clasped  prayer-books,  and  the  congregation,  mostly  women 
and  old  men,  nearly  all  dressed  in  black,  scowled  upon  us 
from  all  sides.  That's  war  Christianity.  The  minister  prayed 
covertly  for  the  success  of  the  South,  exhorted  slaves  to  obey 
their  masters,  and  preached  a  moderate  doctrinal  sermon.  He 
spoke  of  'a  barrier  of  steel  dividing  kindred,'  and  gave  out 
the  hymn,  '  When  foes  assail  and  tyrants  frown.' " 

"  He  meant  foes  of  the  Union,  of  course,"  said  Paymaster 
Horton. 

"  Not  a  bit,"  continued  C;ireswell ;  "  he  looked  significantly 
at  our  pew,  and  so  did  the  congregation." 

"  The  observed  of  all  observers,"  remarked  Bloss,  "  How 
happy  you  must  have  been  !" 

"  Well,  we  were  not  unhappy,"  replied  Careswell,  "  we  paid 
more  attention  to  the  service  than  the  rest  of  them.  It  was  a 
little  funny  to  hear  ourselves  prayed  against,  but  one  must  get 
used  to  everything  these  times.  These  people  are  not  chang- 
ing our  principles  by  their  mockery  and  insults,  only  drying 
up  little  by  little  the  human  sympathy  which  every  Northern 
man  has  for  the  unfortunate  and  distressed.  The  masses  are 
grossly  ignorant  of  the  character  of  Northern  people;  the 
newspaper  men,  orators  and  leaders  paint  us  in  the  blackest 
characters,  in  order  to  excite  the  greatest  opposition,  and  to 
keep  the  slaves  from  fleeing  to  us.  One  dollar  in  greenbacks 
is  worth  one  dollar  and  sixty-two  cents  in  Virginia  scrip. 
The  goods  are  marked  in  the  two  currencies  in  the  stores. 
Now,  that's  a  fair  estimate  of  the  relative  value  of  a  Northern 


54  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADIXG. 

and  Southern  man.  In  education,  ability,  integrity  and  moral 
worth,  one  Northerner  is  worth  about  one  Soutlierner  plus 
sixty-two  one-hundredths  of  another  one,  and  these  deluded 
people  and  chivalric  humbugs  will  find  it  out  before  many 
years."  Having  delivered  this  speech,  which  evoked  hearty 
laughter,  Careswell  took  a  drink  of  claret  and  said  no  more. 

Lawson  took  up  the  thread  of  conversation  as  the  supper 
went  on,  and  said,  "  We  met  several  old  gentlemen,  whom  we 
knew  to  be  rebels,  and  they  bowed  to  us  with  cool  politeness. 
Gentlemen  always  bow  to  each  other,  in  the  South,  whether 
they  have  been  introduced  or  not.  We  passed  an  old  gentle- 
man with  his  lovely  daughter,  on  Freemason  street;  both 
bowed  and  said  'Good  morning' so  heartily,  and  smiled  so 
pleasantly  that  we  knew  they  must  belong  to  the  Union  side. 
It  was  awfully  refreshing  to  meet  the  loyal  and  true  after  the 
experience  of  the  morning,  and  when  we  met  some  of  Gen. 
Viele's  staff-officers,  and  talked  over  matters,  we  felt  relieved." 

"They  said  'the  citizens  of  Norfolk  were  bitter  secession- 
ists; had  lost  many  relatives  in  late  battles,  and  were  greatly 
disappointed  at  Longstreet's  failing  to  retake  Norfolk,  and 
this  last  fact  accounted  for  the  evidence  of  animosity,  which 
had  slumbered  quietly  for  some  months.  We  have  passed 
through  the  same  experience  here.  We  have  been  cognizant 
of  these  petty  insults  to  officers  of  all  grades  in  the  services, 
and  have  arrested  some  persons  for  their  misbehavior,  then  let 
them  go,  because  it  is  not  our  duty  to  teach  the  people  of  Nor- 
folk good  manners.  There  are  some  people  here,  who  are 
ardent  secessionists,  yet  are  as  polite  and  considerate  as  one 
could  wish.  The  educated,  traveled  people  know  us  better 
than  the  middle  class,  and  respect  us,  though  they  believe  us 
to  be  fighting  upon  the  wrong  side  in  this  'Second  American 
Revolution,'  as  they  like  to  call  it.'" 

"  It  is  all  owing  to  a  fellow's  bringing  up,  I  suppose,"  said 
Sanborn.  "A  city  fellow  don't  know  a  squash  from  a  pump- 
kin, nor  a  countryman  a  brigadier-general  from  a  New  York 
policeman." 

This  sally  caused  a  laugh  around  the  table,  and  made  the 
injured  members  of  the  mess  feel  more  comfortable.  Soon 
after  a  few  army  officers  came  on  board  and  spent  the  evening, 
and  the  talk  about  the  relations  with  the  South  was  resumed. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  00 

"I  have  brought  you  gentlemeu  so:ne  choice  rebel  litera- 
ture, which  we  get  through  the  Hues  occasionally  by  deserters 
and  ca])tures,"  said  Captain  Brush.  "  You  will  see  how  the 
Northern  people  are  held  up  to  execration  in  the  most  abomi- 
nable language.     Hear  what  this  fellow  says  of  us: 

"'  We  have  captured,  in  serviceable  condition,  seven  of  the 
most  formidable  engines  of  war  the  enemy  had  ailoat,  whicii 
are  now  being  turned  to  account  in  a  good  cause,  serving  in 
the  '  Confederate  States  '  navy  against  God-defying  infidelity 
and  hell-deserving  abolitionists,  who,  actuated  l)y  the  basest 
instincts  of  brute  nature,  confront  us  with  lustful  designs  of 
fiends  incarnate.'" 

"  That  fellow  must  have  been  chewing  soap,"  said  Bloss, 
referring  to  a  burlesque  Othello,  who  chewed  soap  in  order  to 
foam  at  the  mouth  with  an  appearance  of  rage,  during  tJie 
smothering  scene. 

The  captain  read  on  : 

" '  Let  us  put  our  hope  and  trust  in  the  God  of  hosts,  for 
He  hath  set  us  apart  as  His  chosen  peoj)le,  hence  the  scourg- 
ing we  are  now  receiving  by  the  visitation  of  revolution  and 
war,  which  has  deluged  our  fair  land  in  blood  and  anguish. 
If  there  is  a  people  upon  the  face  of  the  earth  that  cannot  be 
made  slaves,  but  which  He  has  appointed  as  His  own  people 
and  agents  to  perpetuate  the  work  of  civilization,  it  is  the 
people  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America,  the  descendants 
of  the  Caucassiau  and  Jewish  races,  who  are  entrusted  with 
the  fostering  care  and  protection  of  the  African  race  as  an  in- 
stitution of  servftude  to  civilization.  We  are  commanded  to 
foster  and  perpetuate  this  institution  for  the  benefit  of  future 
ages.  God  has  commanded  us  to  buy  our  servants  from  the 
heathen  nations  to  be  an  inheritance  to  our  children  and  our 
children's  children.'" 

The  captain  paused. 

"This  is  rather  peculiar  reasoning,"  remarked  Mr.  Felton. 
"  It  must  be  comforting  to  believe  the  Lord  chose  the  Southern- 
ers in  order  that  they  might  be  thrashed,  but  I  think  we  ought 
to  have  the  credit  of  doing  it.  These  chosen  people,  who  can 
not  be  made  slaves,  are  God's  agents  to  perpetuate  civilization 
by  perpetuating  slavery.  That  is  simply  blasphemy  according 
to  my  ideas." 


56  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

"  Do  yon  remember  the  syllogism?"  asked  Sanborn,  with  a 
twinkle  in  his  eyes. 

"  1  have  heard  of  it,"  replied  Felton  smiling. 

"  One  might  apply  it  here,"  said  Sanborn. 

"All  people  who  are  scourged  are  the  chosen  people  of 
God. 

The  Southerners  are  scourged  by  the  Yankees. 

Therefore,  the  Southerners  are  the  chosen  people  of  God. 
"  Again, 

"  The  chosen  people  of  God  always  promote  the  highest 
civilization. 

But  the  Southerners  seek  to  injure  civilization  by  perpetu- 
ating slavery. 

Therefore,  the  Southerners  are  not  the  chosen  people." 

This  diversion  caused  much  merriment  and  Careswell  said, 
"  That's  enough  tripods.  We  will  take  a  dissertation  upon  the 
nineteen  moods  of  the  syllogism  some  other  time." 

"  Captain  Brush,  has  that  fellow  anything  else  interesting?" 
asked  Lawson. 

"  Yes,  I'll  read  you  a  little  more,"  said  the  captain.  " '  The 
majority  of  our  enemies  ....  are  now  being  informed,  by 
the  force  of  circumstances,  by  unaccustomed  intercourse  and 
association  with  the  negro,  of  their  error  in  the  course  and 
policy  they  have  adopted  with  regard  to  the  whole  African 
race,  finding  they  can  do  nothing  and  accomplish  less  with 
such  as  have  been  captured  and  others  who  were  induced  to 
leave  their  good  and  kind  masters  and  mistresses,  they  are 
now-  being  prepared,  drilled  and  armed  for  service  and  to  be 
placed  in  the  front  lines  of  battle  (finding  them  an  unwieldy 
mass  of  helplessness  and  inferiority  for  the  accomplishment  of 
any  other  purpose).  First  being  placed  in  the  front  lines  of 
battle  the  negro  will  serve  as  a  breastwork  to  shield  the  bodies 
and  preserve  the  lives  of  degraded  and  polluted  Yankees. 
Second  having  served  such  purpose  and  being  slain  upon 
the  field  of  battle,  the  Yankees  have  no  more  trouble  with 
Cuffee,  and  say  he  has  been  turned  to  good  account. 

"  '  Thus  it  will  be  seen  that  the  poor  and  deluded  African 
is  to  serve  a  two-fold  purpose  to  the  Abolition  Yankees  of  the 
East,  whose  principles  must  be  corrupting  to  the  most  de- 
praved and  demoniac  fiends  of  hell. 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR,  57 

"'  Permit  rae,  kind  reader,  to  ask  does  not  a  contemplation 
of  the  Yankee  character  excite  in  you  a  feeling  of  condemna- 
tion and  scorn  mingled  with  alternate  pity  and  contempt  for 
our  demented  enemy  whose  every  existence,  being  and  to  be 
(now  and  forever)  is  qualified  by  the  epithet  Yankee,  a  terra 
comprehensively  expressive  of  all  that  is  impure,  inhuman,  un- 
charitable, unchristian  and  uncivilized  (barbarian  and  heathen 
is  scarcely  applicable  in  the  case),  demons  of  hell  in  the  guise 
of  men. 

"  '  I  have  not  done  yet.  If,  indeed,  there  should  be  a  dis- 
crepancy it  will  be  found  in  favor  of  language  not  containing 
words  of  sufficient  force  to  express  the  baseness  of  the  character 
and  nature  of  the  Yankees  and  the  perverting  influence  of 
their  self  established  creed,  which  has  given  birth  to  all  the 
demoralizing,  degrading,  and  hellish  isms,  including  (the  last 
though  not  the  least)  equalityism  or  negrophilisra.' " 

The  captain  ceased  reading  and  looked  around  with  a  smile. 
The  expressions  of  the  different  faces  were  studies  for  an  artist. 
They  gave  evidence  of  amusement,  curiosity,  deep  thought, 
and  indignation.  There  was  a  moment's  silence,  then  Ashton 
broke  out,  "The  impudent  scalawag!  The  diaphanous  shal- 
low-pate! The  prognathous  liar!  Who  is  this  fellow,  who 
slings  such  foul  ink  from  a  safe  distance?" 

"His  name  is — fiddlesticks — what  matter  what  his  name 
is?"  replied  Brush.  "  He  would  only  be  too  proud  to  have  it 
mentioned.  Here,  you  can  read  it  yourself.  A  man  who 
would  use  such  language  and  tell  such  falsehoods  is  beneath 
contempt.  He  hails  from  Georgia,  far  enough  away  from  the 
lines  of  battle  to  be  perfectly  safe,  or  he  would  not  write  such 
bathos.  For  my  part,  I  should  be  inclined  to  question  his 
loyalty  to  the  Southern  cause,  he  tries  to  be  so  very  virulent. 
I  am  sure  that  the  better  people  of  the  South  have  little  sym- 
pathy with  this  sort  of  jaw-bone  warfare,  but  it  serves  to  give 
many,  who  do  not  know  better,  very  erroneous  opinions  of 
our  character,  which  accounts  in  part  for  our  treatment  in 
Norfolk." 

"  I  am  of  your  opinion,"  said  Mr.  Felton,  quietly  pulling  his 
moustache  between  his  fingers.  "  I  know  so  many  good  fel- 
lows, who  have  gone  with  the  South  in  this  unpleasantness, 


58  CEUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

that  I  cannot  believe  they  hold  such  opinions  as  are  ex{ 
by  this  blackguard.  The  most  pronounced  abolitionists  and 
the  most  rabid  pro-slavery  men  formed  a  band  of  brothers  at 
Annapolis.  When  the  Academy  was  broken  up  and  the 
Southern  students  left,  they  were  cheered  by  the  loyal  mid- 
dies. When  the  fortunes  of  war  have  thrown  naval  officers 
of  one  side  into  the  power  of  the  other,  there  has  generally 
been  an  interchange  of  friendly  courtesies,  though  the  officers 
of  the  Cumberland  refused  to  shake  hands  with  their  captors. 
,1  feel  towards  these  rebels,  as  I  should  towards  an  erring 
brother,  who  has  sinned  greatly,  but  vvhom  I  am  ready  to 
forgive." 

"  Human  nature  is  human  nature,  "  said  Careswell  senten- 
tiously.  "  These  people  are  our  enemies  and  we  are  theirs, 
and  we  need  not  waste  any  sentiment  upon  them  until  they 
deserve  it.  Peace  and  war  make  ditferent  feelings  in  people, 
and  we  may  expect  the  most  treacherous  and  deadly  enmity 
from  former  acquaintances  in  the  South.  There  will  be  ex- 
ceptions now  and  then,  but  it  behooves  us  all  to  be  on  our 
guard  and  to  keep  our  side-arms  ready." 

"  That  is  so!"  said  Ashton.  "  If  I  had  only  had  my  revolver 
to-day!" 

"  You'd  have  shot  one  of  those  girls  in  the  window,  wouldn't 
you?"  asked  Bloss,  humming  in  a  low  tone, 

'■  I  have  a  tress  of  silken  hair, 

That  was  severed  from  thy  brow ; 
A  truant  curl  most  beautiful, 
I'm  gazing  on  it  now." 

Ashton  scowled,  and  said,  "No;  a  loafer  whom  the  city 
would  not  have  missed." 

"  Would  you  have  shot  a  defenseless  man?" 

"Well,  no,  but  I  would  have  arrested  him  and  turned  him 
over  to  the  army." 

"  Tres-bien,  avez  soin,  vous  n'eles  pas  le  roi.  Hello !  what 
have  we  here?"  continued  Bloss,  separating  the  Chattanooga 
Rebel  from  the  pile  of  Southern  literature  that  Captain  Brush 
had  brought  on  board.     He  then  said,  "  Hearken  to  this : 


A    NAVAL   STORY    OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  59 


"'A  CONFEDEKATE  ALPHABET.'" 

"'A  is  for  Anderson,  foremost  and  least ; 
B  is  for  Betliel,  or  Butler  the  Beast; 
(;  is  for  Chase  and  also  for  Cheat, 
D  is  for  Darkies,  Disaster,  Defeat ; 
E  is  for  Eagle,  transformed  to  a   crow, 
F  is  the  Flag  spreading  ruin  and  woe  ; 
G  is  for  Gibbet  on  which  we  will  hang, 
Hunter  the  Hound  and  all  of  his  gang; 
I  is  the  infamy  of  which  they  are  proud, 
J  Johnson  the  Jackall,  the  worst  of  the  crowd; 
K  is  the  Kalendar  of  accidents  dire, 
L  is  for  Lincoln,  the  Long  Legged  Liar; 
M's  for  McClellan  who  Richmond  would  see, 
N  is  for  Never,  when  his  it  shall  be; 
O  shows  what  Yankees  will  make  by  the  war, 
Q  is  for  Query,  "  what  is  it  all  for  ?  " 
P,  which  was  passed,  stands  for  Puppy  and  Pope, 
R  is  for  Rosecrans,  Rascal  and  Rope ; 
S  stands  for  Seward,  well  surnamed  the  Snake, 
T,  the  three  months,  the  Rebellion  will  take; 
U's  for  the  Union  of  all  that  is  base, 

V  for  the  Victories  that  never  took  place ; 
\V  for  Winfield,  whose  victories  great, 
Xerxes-like  ended  in  shameful  defeat; 

Y  stands  for  Yankees  that  self-esteemed  nation, 
Z  is  for  zero,  their  true  valuation.'  " 

"There,  gentlemen,"  said  Bloss,  "if  that  is  not  enough  to 
turn  the  milk  of  human  kindness  sour,  I  don't  know  what 
would.  I  feel  the  gall  rising  in  my  throat  now.  When  a 
leading  journal  vilifies  some  of  our  best  men  in  that  scanda- 
lous manner,  we  can  readily  understand  what  they  think  of 
the  rest  of  us.  I'm  going  to  have  my  sword  ground  to  mor- 
row." 

"  Come  and  join  our  cavalry.  Lieutenant ;  we'll  give  you  a 
longer  blade,"  said  Lieut.  Hart.  "  You  could  not  do  much  in 
a  hand  to  hand  fight  with  your  naval  toad-sticker." 

"Is  this  the  fruit  of  war,"  asked  Sanborn,  "that  one  side 
must  abuse  the  other  so  shamefully?  History  is  full  of 
atrocities  perpetrated  by  armed  men  upon  their  enemies,  but 
she  is  silent  about  these  personal  outrages  upon  character.  We 
think  the  Southerners  are  chivalric  and  brave;  ardent  in  love 
of  their  section  ;  wrong  in  their  support  of  state  rights  and 
human  slavery,  and  deficient  in  that  finer  sense  of  morality 
that  permeates  society  at  the  North.     Bad  as  we  know  them 


60  CRUISIXG   AND   BLOCKADING. 

to  be  in  some  sections,  you  may  search  the  entire  press  of  the 
North  and  you  will  not  find  as  much  misrepresentation  and 
billingsgate  about  them,  as  is  condensed  about  us  in  this  mis- 
erable article." 

"  These  are  the  utterances  of  policy  and  spitefulness,"  spoke 
up  Surgeon  Willett.  "They  are  welcome  to  the  masses,  be- 
cause they  feel  impotent  to  avenge  their  fancied  wrongs,  but 
passion  past,  the  educated  people  of  the  South  will  repudiate 
such  stuff.  I  am  sure  the  action  of  Major  Anderson  com- 
mands the  respect  of  the  civilized  world,  and  the  other  names 
mentioned  w'll  stand  high  upon  the  pages  of  history.  We 
must  fight  these  people  into  subjection ;  educate  them  to  an 
understanding  of  moral  purity,  and  prove  that  we  are  actuated 
by  principles  of  justice,  not  blinded  by  the  mad  partisanship 
of  the  hour." 

"  Have  another  glass  of  sherry,  gentlemen,"  said  Lawsou, 
as  the  doctor  ceased  speaking. 

The  doctor  was  as  calm  as  a  May  morning.  He  was  a  me- 
dium-sized, solidly-framed  man,  about  twenty-five  years  of 
age.  His  features  were  regular  and  expressive;  his  dark  eyes 
had  a  depth  and  steadiness  in  them  which  attracted  attention, 
and  his  brown  hair  and  moustache  and  the  poise  of  his  head 
gave  him  an  aristocratic  bearing.  He  was  rather  reticent,  but 
always  expressed  practical  common  sense  when  he  spoke,  to 
which  every  one  was  glad  to  listen. 

"  I've  had  enough  sherry  to  give  me  gout  for  a  week,"  said 
Lieut.  Hart. 

"  Good  wine  don't  give  soldiers  the  gout,"  said  Willett. 

"That's  because  they  seldom  get  it,"  said  Brush,  "We 
poor  devils  have  to  put  up  with  Commissary  whiskey.  I 
sometimes  think  it's  a  fraud  for  us  to  drink  your  fine  wines 
and  then  set  out  army  stuff  when  you  visit  us.  Here's  con- 
fusion to  our  enemies  and  damnation  to  the  man  who  wrote 
that  doggerel "  said  he,  as  he  tossed  off  his  glass  of  sherry  with 
the  others.  "  Lieutenant  Felton  and  gentlemen,  we  shall  be 
glad  to  see  you  at  Headquarters  any  time." 

"  Come  often,  gentlemen,"  said  Lieut.  Hart,  "  we  shall  not 
have  these  pleasant  opportunities  long." 

"We  shall  all  be  glad  to  see  you  aboard  any  time,"  said 
Mr.  Felton.     "  Boy,  tell  the  deck-officer  to  order  the  second 


A    NAVAL   STOEY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  61 

cutter,  with  a  midshipman  in  charge,  to  take  the  gentlemen 
ashore." 

The  boat  was  ordered  ;  the  officers  shook  hands  all  around, 
said  "Good-night,"  were  accompanied  to  the  gangway  by 
Felton  and  Willett,  and  then  taken  ashore.  At  ten  o'clock, 
the  lights  were  put  out,  and  all  was  quiet  except  the  steady 
tramp  of  the  officers  and  men  on  deck,  keeping  the  first  watch 
of  the  night. 

The  conversation  of  this  evening  and  the  rebel  literature 
made  a  deep  impression  upon  the  officers  of  the  Nautilus,  and 
did  much  to  strengthen  their  opinions  upon  the  justice  of  their 
cause,  and  the  necessity  for  punishing  those  in  rebellion  against 
the  Government.  Henceforth,  things  were  named  correctly  ; 
rebels  were  rebels,  and  Southern  seceders  from  tne  army  and 
navy  were  called  traitors. 

The  immediate  danger  of  attack  from  the  enemy  having 
passed,  a  little  more  liberty  was  permitted,  and  a  boat  could 
be  obtained  for  excursions  up  the  river,  across  to  the  Marine 
Hospital,  and  down  to  Hampton.  The  surroundings  of  Nor- 
folk were  not  very  attractive,  and,  late  in  the  season  as  it  was, 
there  was  a  peculiar  stuffy  smell  along  the  river,  which  was 
anything  but  agreeal>le.  The  doctor  said  the  atmosphere  was 
full  of  malaria,  and  he  cautioned  everybody  to  be  careful  of 
exposure  after  sunset. 

The  Marine  Hosjntal  was  clean  and  comfortable,  but  had 
the  admixture  of  odors  which  indicated  suppurating  wounds 
and  savage  sufferings.  Many  of  the  pretty  white  beds  con- 
tained men  badly  shattered  by  bullets  and  gra|)e-shot,  and, 
though  all  tiiat  was  possible  was  being  done  by  skilful  sur- 
geons, the  death  damp  rested  upon  many  a  brow  and  shocked 
visitors  into  a  remembrance  of  the  frailty  of  man  and  the  hor- 
rors of  war. 

The  visits  to  Newport  News,  Hampton,  Fortress  Monroe, 
and  the  naval  vessels  in  the  Roads,  were  very  enjoyable,  and 
full  reports  of  the  incidents  of  a  trip  furnished  topics  of  con- 
versation in  the  evening  and  kept  the  mess  lively.  A  vessel 
arrived  from  the  North  nearly  every  day  and  brought  letters 
and  late  journals,  so  that  everybody  was  kept  informed  of  the 
progress  of  the  war,  as  papers  were  passed  from  officer  to  offi- 


62  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

cer  and  from  man  to  man,  until  tlie  smallest  boy  in  the  ship 
had  read  their  soiled  and  worn-out  columns. 

It  was  amusing  to  see  the  reports  of  affairs  in  the  immediate 
vicinity,  and  to  read  the  misspelled  names  of  those  who  de- 
served and  coveted  fame.  A  N.  Y.  Tribune  correspondent 
came  on  board  one  day  and  was  taken  to  task  for  his  reports, 
but  he  threw  all  the  blame  upon  the  compositors  and  proof- 
readers, and  claimed  that  he  wrote  a  hand  a  thousand  per  cent, 
better  than  Greeley's.  He  then  began  a  direct,  indirect,  cir- 
cumlocutory style  of  quizzing  for  facts,  which  was  so  persistent 
and  searching,  that  the  officers  were  glad  to  fill  him  up  with 
sardines,  cheese,  hard-tack,  sherry,  &c.  and  to  get  rid  of  him, 
feeling  as  exhausted  and  empty  after  he  had  gone,  as  he  must 
have  felt  replete  and  comfortable.  Several  had  supposed  prior 
to  this  experience,  that  any  one  could  be  a  newspaper  corre- 
spondent, but  this  indefatigable  fellow  caused  a  complete  revo- 
lution of  opinion. 

The  next  morning  Bloss  came  down  to  breakfast  "  mad 
clear  through."  He  cursed  the  engineers  because  they  would 
not  do  their  duty,  in  sending  men  from  their  department  to 
hoist  up  the  ashes  early  and  to  wash  and  scour  the  engine-room 
skylights  and  gratings,  and  ended  by  reporting  one  of  the 
assistant-engineers  to  Mr.'Felton  for  disobedience  of  orders. 
Felton  had  a  talk  with  the  chief,  and  he  disciplined  the  refrac- 
tory officer  by  an  extra  watch.  There  is  frequent  trouble 
between  the  engineers  and  officers-of-the-deck  from  this  cause; 
the  former  hinder  the  morning  work  and  make  themselves 
obnoxious,  because,  having  a  special  department,  they  do  not 
like  to  acknowledge  the  supremacy  of  the  deck-officer,  and 
because  they  forget  the  golclen  rule.  If  the  engineers  of  a 
ship  are  not  held  in  esteem  by  the  wardroom  officers,  it  is  be- 
cause they  are  guilty  of  petty  meanness  unbecoming  officers 
and  gentlemen.  In  conflicts  of  authority,  the  deck-officer  is 
supreme,  because,  while  on  duty,  he  has  full  charge  of  the 
ship,  is  responsible  for  her  condition,  discipline  and  safety, 
and  represents  the  captain.  The  executive  enforces  his  just 
and  of^ten  his  unjust  orders,  because  orders  must  be  obeyed 
first  and  considered  afterwards. 

The  morning  watch  from  4  to  8  a.m.  is  full  of  the  miseries 
of  dashing  water,   wet  decks,   wet  feet,   wet  clothes,   flying 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  63 

buckets,  grinding  holystones,  flourishing  brooms,  dirty  swabs, 
and  scrapers.  Women  clean  house  once  or  twice  a  year,  but 
Jack  Tar  cleans  the  ship  every  morning,  in  port  or  out,  from 
kelson  to  truck,  from  water  line  to  midships.  Then  the  run- 
ning rigging  must  be  hauled  taut,  yards  braced,  sails  snugged 
or  trimmed,  ropes  coiled  down,  guns  cleaned,  brasswork 
scoured  bright,  hammocks  lashed  and  stowed,  and  the  watch 
below  piped  to  breakfast.  The  steady  grind  of  the  holystones 
and  sand  upon  the  deck,  the  rattle  of  buckets  and  other  para- 
phernalia, the  shuffling  footsteps,  the  sharp  orders,  and  the 
frequent  zp-ze-ing  of  the  boatswain's  mate's  whistle,  make  a 
racket  that  awakens  those  unaccustomed  to  man-of-war  life, 
and  causes  considerable  growling  below  and  upon  deck.  The 
officer-of-the-deck  growls  at  the  petty  officers,  the  petty  officers 
at  the  men,  the  men  at  the  boys,  and  the  boys  start  a  grumble 
that  goes  back  along  the  line,  growing  milder  and  milder  un- 
til it  reaches  the  quarter-deck.  The  bulk  of  the  work  is  done 
at  four-bells,  or  six  o'clock ;  the  ship's  cook  gives  the  men 
coffee ;  a  wardroom  boy  brings  a  cup  of  coffee  and  some  hard- 
tack to  the  deck-officer,  and  the  respite  and  refreshments  gen- 
erally restore  good  humor. 

Sailors  are  great  growlers,  and  ominous  muttering  can  be 
heard  in  some  part  of  the  ship  at  all  times  of  day  and  night. 
Jack  will  curse  the  calm,  the  wind,  the  sky,  the  sea,  the  shij), 
the  shore,  the  officers,  and  the  Government,  but  he  don't  mean 
anything  by  it.  He  could  not  be  hired  to  stay  ashore,  and 
will  defend  the  very  things  he  has  just  maligned  with  the  first 
one  who  answers  him.  He  is  at  one  time  misanthropic  and 
miserable;  at  another,  the  jolliest  dog  afloat ;  he  is  careless  of 
self,  fearless  of  danger,  fond  of  adventure  and  full  of  gener- 
osity;  he  is  proud  of  his  ship  and  his  sweetheart;  faithful  to 
his  flag  and  country,  and  regardless  of  the  value  of  money, 
often  dissipating  the  wages  of  a  two  or  three  years'  cruise  in 
the  riotous  debauchery  of  a  month.  Then  he  is  ready  for  an- 
other cruise,  and  goes  cheerfully  to  work  again. 


64  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Everybody  on  board  the  Nautilus  had  seen  enough  of 
Norfolk  and  vicinity,  and  was  glad  when  a  dispatch-boat 
brought  orders  from  Wasliington,  countei'signed  by  the  flag- 
officer  of  the  station,  to  go  to  sea.  The  kedge  was  taken 
aboard ;  the  anchor  weighed ;  the  fleet  passed  with  the  cus- 
toinarv  cheers,  and  at  meridian  the  gallant  ship  was  breasting 
the  billows  of  the  restless  ocean,  with  the  course  directed 
southward.  The  screw  was  hoisted  up,  the  fires  were  banked, 
all  sail  was  made,  and  for  several  days  the  good  bark  went 
bowling  along  at  the  rate  of  ten  knots  an  hour,  with  a  strong 
southwest  breeze.  The  sailors  were  kept  busy  setting  up  the 
stays  and  shrouds,  as  they  stretched  in  the  warm  sunlight; 
the  men  of  the  watch  oif  duty  sought  snug  spots  between  the 
guns  and,  sheltered  from  the  wind,  opened  their  bags,  over- 
hauled their  clothing,  and  stitched,  mended  and  talked  the 
hours  away;  the  steerage  officers  chatted  in  the  lee  gangway 
and  read  papers  and  books  in  cosy  places,  and  the  wardroom 
officers  brought  up  camp-stools  and  sat  under  the  midshipman's 
deck,  smoking,  reading  and  talking,  as  they  watched  through 
the  open  gun-port  the  rapid  race  of  waters  astern. 

The  conversation  one  forenoon  was  upon  the  destruction 
caused  by  the  rebel  ironclad  Merriraac,  and  the  splendid  ser- 
vices rendered  the  country  by  Capt.  Werden  and  the  little 
^lonitor,  in  driving  her  back  shattered  and  demoralized. 

"It  was  not  a  fight  between  the  Merrimac  and  Monitor  at 
all,"  said  Careswell,  "  but  between  the  Virginia  and  Monitor." 

"You  are  mistaken,"  said  Ashton  ;  "  it  was  the  old  Merri- 
mac that  had  been  burned  by  us  when  we  destroyed  the  navy 
yard ;  her  upper  works  only  were  damaged ;  the  rebs  built 
her  up,  plated  her  with  boiler-iron,  and  then  knocked  spots 
out  of  our  wooden  vessels." 

"  You  are  correct,"  replied  Careswell,  "  but  she  was  renamed 
the  Virginia,  and  so  figures  in  the  Confederate  Naml  Register." 

"  That  is  true,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  that's  the  way  history 


A    KAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  65 

gets  falsified.  While  we  remember  her  as  the  old  Merrimac, 
the  Southerners  know  her  as  the  Virginia."  No  one  doubted 
any  longer,  for  the  doctor  had  a  phenomenal  menaory  upon 
which  his  messmates  had  learned  to  rely. 

"  I  don't  wish  to  go  to  sea  in  any  sui-h  iron  coffins  as  the 
Monitors,"  said  Careswell.  "They  pitch  their  noses  under 
and  lift  great  seas  upon  them,  which  break  around  the  turret 
and  rush  off  the  sharp  stern  like  Niagara.  The  seas  roll  right 
across  the  deck,  dash  over  the  obstructions,  and  run  in  at  every 
opening.  The  hatches  are  all  closed  solidly  at  sea,  the  dead- 
light holes  on  deck  are  full  of  water,  and  the  only  openings 
from  below  are  up  through  the  smoke-stack  and  the  turret. 
The  only  escape  in  a  heavy  seaway  is  by  a  two  feet  by  four 
hatch  in  the  grating-like,  iron  deck  of  the  turret ;  it  would  be 
impossible  to  get  at  the  boats,  if  they  had  not  been  swept 
away,  and  next  to  impossible  for  any  boats  to  approach  for 
rescue  without  being  dashed  to  pieces.  I  don't  see  how  the 
Monitor's  crew  ever  escaped.  The  heat  from  the  furnaces  and 
the  foul  air  accumulated  below  deck,  owing  to  the  imperfect 
ventilation,  are  almost  unendurable,  and  the  duties  and  disci- 
pline are  more  comparable  to  those  of  a  machine-shop  than  to 
a  man-of-war." 

"  You  are  right,"  said  Ashton.  "  I  had  a  dose  off  Charles- 
ton last  fall.  I  couldn't  stand  it  to  live  like  a  hot-house  plant 
and  went  home  sick." 

"Have  you  read  the  rebel  account  of  the  first  fight?" 
Careswell  asked  the  doctor. 

"  No,"  said  he;  "but  I  suppose  it  is  greatly  exaggerated." 

"  Yes ;  I  have  it  down  below  in  the  Illustrated  Keu's.  I 
will  get  it  and  read  the  article." 

Careswell  got  the  paper  and  read  as  follows: 

"'On  the  19th  of  April,  when  the  Massachusetts  troops 
were  attacked  on  their  passage  through  Baltimore  city,  Capt. 
Buchanan  was  in  command  of  the  navy  yard  at  Washington. 
He  immediately  resigned  his  commission,  and,  in  a  short  time 
thereafter,  tendered  his  services  to  the  Southern  Confederacy, 
which  were  promptly  accepted,  and  he  drew  his  sword  in  de- 
fence of  Southern  independence.  He  was  assigned  to  duty  as 
Chief  of  Orders  and  Detail,  in  the  Confederate  navy,  then  in 
its  infancy,  and  in  February,  1862,  hoisted  his  flag  at  Norfolk 


66  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

on  board  the  iron-clad  frigate  Virginia,  stich  being  the  name 
given  by  the  Confederate  Navy  Department  to  the  United 
States  frigate  Merrimae,  partially  burnt  and  sunk  by  Commo- 
dore Paulding,  when  the  Federal  forces  evacuated  the  Norfolk 
navy  yard  on  the  secession  of  Virginia,  and  on  Saturday,  the 
8th  of  March,  1862,  engaged  the  enemy  off  Newport's  New>\ 
It  may  not  be  uninteresting  to  the  readers  of  our  paper  to  give 
here  a  short  description  of  this  the  greatest  naval  engagement 
that  ever  took  place  in  American  waters. 

"  'The  Virginia  had  been  cut  loose  from  her  moorings,  and 
was  on  her  way  down  the  harbor,  when  Commodore  Buchanan, 
calling  "all  hands  to  muster,"  delivered  the  following  brief 
but  spirited  address  to  the  crew: 

"  '  Men,  the  eyes  of  your  country  are  upon  you.  You  are 
fighting  for  your  rights — your  liberties — your  wives  and  chil- 
dren. You  must  not  be  content  with  only  doing  your  duty; 
but  do  more  than  your  duty!  Those  ships  (pointing  to  the 
Yankee  vessels)  mud  be  taken,  and  you  shall  not  complain 
that  I  do  not  take  you  close  enough.     Go  to  your  guns !" 

"'How  well  the  officers  and  the  gallant  crew  of  that 
"  monster  of  the  deep  "  performed  their  whole  duty,  we  let  an 
eye-witness  of  that  memorable  engagement  tell : 

"  '  The  morning  was  still  as  that  of  a  Sabbath.  The  two 
Yankee  frigates  lay  with  their  boats  at  the  boom,  and  wash- 
clothes  in  the  rigging.  Did  they  see  the  long,  dark  hull? 
Had  they  made  her  out?  Was  it  ignorance,  apathy,  or  com- 
posure ?  These  were  the  questions  we  discussed  as  we  steamed 
across  the  flats  to  the  south  of  the  frigates  with  the  two  gal- 
lant little  gun-boats  well  on  our  starboard  beam  heading  up 
for  the  enemy.  Our  doubts  were  solved  by  the  heavy  boom 
of  a  gun  from  beyond  Sewell's  Point.  The  reverberation 
rolled  across  the  sun-lit  water  and  died  away,  but  still  the 
clothes  hung  in  the  rigging,  still  the  boats  lay  at  the  booms. 
Another  gun  (21  minutes  past  1)  broke  on  the  air,  and  a  tug 
started  for  Newport's  News,  while  at  the  same  time  two  others 
left  Old  Point,  taking  the  channel  inside  Hampton  bar. 
Steadily,  with  a  grim  and  ominous  silence,  the  Virginia 
glides  through  the  water,  steadily  and  with  defiant  valor  the 
Beaufort  and  Raleigh  followed  where  she  led.  At  ten  min- 
utes to  two,  a  rifle  gun  from  one  of  these  little  vessels  rang  out, 


A   NAVAL   STCRY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  67 

then  a  white  puff  from  her  consort.  Still  the  clothes  in  the 
rigging,  still  the  boats  at  the  boom!  Was  this  confidence? 
It  could  not  be  ignorance.  Did  it  mean  torpedoes,  submarine 
batteries,  infernal  machines?  The  gun-boats  have  fired  again, 
and  lo !  here  away  to  the  eastward  were  the  Roanoke  and 
Minnesota  rising  like  prodigious  castles  above  the  placid  water, 
the  first  under  steam,  the  second  in  tow.  Other  puffs  of 
smoke,  other  shar|)  reports  from  the  gun-boats,  but  tlie  Vir- 
ginia goes  on  steadily,  silently  to  do  her  work.  Now  the  in- 
shore frigate,  the  Cumberland,  fires;  now  the  Virginia  close 
aboard  ;  now  Sewell's  Point  battery  ;  now  the  Minnesota;  now 
the  Roanoke;  now  the  air  trembles  with  the  cannonade.  Now 
the  Virginia  delivers  both  broadsides ;  now  she  runs  full  against 
the  Cumberland's  starboard  bow;  now  the  smoke  clears  away, 
and  she  appears  heading  up  James  River.  This  at  twenty- 
two  minutes  to  two.  The  Congress  now  lets  fall  foretopsail, 
and  then  the  main,  and  so  with  a  tug  alongside,  starts  down 
the  North  channel,  where  the  Minnesota  has  grounded,  and 
presently  runs  plump  ashore.  Meanwhile  the  Virginia  opens 
fire  upon  the  Yankee  fort,  slowly  she  steams  back,  and  the 
Cumberland,  sunk  now  to  her  white-streak,  opens  upon  her 
again.  A  gallant  man  fought  that  ship — a  man  worthy  to 
have  maintained  a  better  cause.  Gun  after  gun  he  fired, 
lower  and  lower  sunk  his  ship,  his  last  discharge  comes  from 
his  pivot-gun,  the  ship  lurches  to  starboard,  now  to  port,  his 
flag  streams  out  wildly,  and  now  the  Cumberland  goes  down 
on  her  beam  ends,  at  once  a  monument  and  an  epitaph  of  the 
gallant  man  who  fought  her.  The  Virginia  stops.  Is  she 
•aground?  And  the  gunboat?  Raleigh  and  Beaufort!  glori- 
ous Parker!  glorious  Alexander!  there  they  are  on  the  quar- 
ters of  the  Congress  hammering  away,  and  creeping  up  closer 
and  closer  all  the  time.  At  ten  minutes  to  four  the  Congress 
struck.  Parker  hauled  down  the  ensign,  run  up  his  own  bat- 
tle-flag in  its  place,  there  the  heroic  Taylor,  who  fought  the 
Fanny  at  Roanoke  Island  and  Elizabeth  City,  got  his  wound 
— there  the  gallant  young  Hutter  fell,  all  shot  by  the  dastards 
who  fired  from  the  ship  and  shore  when  the  white  flag  was 
flying  at  the  main  and  mizzCn  of  the  Congress!  Here  too, 
and  in  the  same  way.  Flag  Officer  Buchanan  and  Flag  Lieut. 
R.  D.  Minor,  were  wounded.     Now  the  James  River  gun- 


68  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

boats,  whose  dark  stnoke  had  been  seen  against  the  bhie  dis- 
tance ever  since  three  o'clock,  came  dashing  along  past  the 
shore  batteries.  Tucker,  the  courtly  and  chivalrous,  leading 
the  van  with  the  Jamestown,  Lieutenant-Commanding  Barney, 
close  aboard,  and  the  little  Teaser,  Lieut.  Webb,  in  her  wake 
— like  a  bow-legged  bulldog  in  chase  of  the  long,  lean,  stag- 
hound.  It  was  a  gallant  dash,  and  once  past  the  batteries, 
the  two  heavy  vessels  took  position  in  line  of  battle,  while  the 
Teaser  dashed  at  the  Minnesota,  looking  no  larger  than  a  cock 
boat.  And  right  well  she  maintained  the  honor  of  her  flag 
and  the  appropriateness  of  her  name.  Now  the  Roanoke  puis 
lier  lielni  up  and  declines  the  battle.  Now  the  Virginia  is 
thundering  away  again.  The  Teaser  is  still  closer  in.  We 
are  closer  in — sizz  comes  a  shell  ahead,  presently  another 
astern,  finally  a  third  with  a  clear,  sharp  whizz,  just  overhead, 
to  the  great  delight  of  the  Commodore,  who  appreciated  the 
compliment  of  these  good  shots,  which  were  the  last  of  six 
shots  directed  at  the  Harmony.  Now  the  schooner  Reindeer 
comes  foaming  along,  cut  out  from  under  the  shore  batteries  ; 
she  reports,  and  is  sent  up  in  charge  of  Acting  Master  Gibbs. 

" '  And  next  the  gallant  Beaufort  runs  down,  Parker  steps 
and  brings  on  board  the  great  piece  of  bunting  we  saw  hauled 
down  just  now.  He  brings  also  some  thirty  prisoners  and 
some  Avounded  men — men  wounded  under  that  white  flag 
yonder  desecrated  by  the  Yankees.  One  of  these  lies  stretched 
out,  decently  covered  over,  gasping  out  his  life  on  the  deck — 
a  Yankee  shot  through  the  head,  all  bloody  and  ghastly, 
killed  by  the  inhuman  fire  of  his  own  peoi)le.  Another  pale 
and  stern,  the  Captain  of  the  Beaufort's  gun,  lies  there  too,  a 
noble  specimen  of  a  man,  who  has  since  gone  where  the  weary 
are  at  rest.     A  gallant  man,  a  brave  seaman  ! 

"  '  We  shake  hands  with  Parker;  he  gets  back  to  his  vessel 
slightly  wounded,  as  is  Alexander,  and  steams  back  gallantly 
to  the  fight.  The  Patrick  Henry,  the  Jamestown,  the  Teaser, 
the  Beaufort,  the  Raleigh,  and  the  grand  old  Virginia,  are  all 
thundering  away.  We  steam  down  and  speak  the  first.  We 
hear  a  report  of  casualties,  we  shake  hands  with  friends,  we 
shove  oiF,  ciieer  and  steam  towards  the  Swash  channel.  Pres- 
ently through  the  thickening  gloom  we  see  a  red  glare,  it 
grows  larger,  and  brighter,  and  redder.     It  creeps  higher  and 


A    NAVAI.   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  69 

higher,  and  now  gun  after  gun  booming  on  the  still  night  as  the 
fire  reaches  them,  the  batteries  of  the  Congress  are  discharged 
across  the  water  in  harmless  thunder.  It  was  a  grand  sight 
to  see,  and  by  the  light  of  the  burning  ship,  we  made  our  way 
back  to  Norfolk.  At  half-past  eleven  the  act  of  retribution 
was  complete,  for  at  that  hour,  with  a  great  noise,  she  blew 
up. 

" '  When  Commodore  Buchanan  was  wounded  and  taken 
below,  a  feeling  of  deep  sadness  pervaded  the  entire  crew,  but 
they  soon  rallied  when  Flag  Lieutenant  Minor,  himself  wounded 
and  sent  below,  appeared  on  deck,  and  delivered  to  them  the 
following  message  from  the  noble  flag  officer: 

'"Tell  Mr.  Jones  to  fight  the  ship  to  the  last— tell  the  men 
that  I  am  not  mortally  wounded  and  hope  to  be  with  them 
again  very  soon.' 

"The  cheers  that  greeted  the  delivery  of  this  message  re- 
sounded far  above  the  cannon's  roar,  and  every  man  was  again 
quickly  at  his  post,  dealing  death  and  destruction  with  their 
heavy  guns. 

"  '  Congress  was  in  session  when  the  engagement  took  place 
and  shortly  thereafter  passed  a  bill  creating  the  grade  of  Ad- 
miral in  the  Navy,  to  which  position  Buchanan  was  nominated 
by  the  President  and  confirmed  by  the  Senate. 

"  '  The  news  of  the  great  naval  victory  fled  over  the  country 
with  electric  speed,  and  was  received  with  wonder  and  aston- 
ishment by  the  people  of  the  South,  who  regarded  it  as  the 
turning  point  in  our  fortunes,  then  under  a  cloud  from  recent 
disasters  to  our  arms  at  Donaldson  and  other  places. 

" '  England  and  France,  with  all  their  powerful  resources, 
for  two  years  had  been  endeavoring  to  solve  the  problem  of 
iron-clad  ships,  but  it  remained  for  the  Southern  Confederacy, 
the  youngest  sister  in  the  family  of  nations,  to  demonstrate 
conclusively,  by  actual  trial  in  battle,  their  great  efficiency, 
and  thus  to  radically  revolutionize  the  old  system  of  naval 
warfare,  a  fact  still  more  wonderful  when  we  consider  that  the 
Virginia  was  cut  down,  mailed,  armed,  manned  and  fought 
with  unprecedented  success,  all  within  the  brief  space  of  six 
months,  by  a  people  heretofore  entirely  dependent  upon  the 
Yankee  States  for  all  commercial  advantages.' " 


70  CRUISIKG   AND   BLOCKADING. 

The  gentlemen  smoked  on  in  silence  for  a  few  moments,  then 
Ashton  spoke  up  excitedly  : 

"  It  was  a  gallant  fight  and  I  wish  I  had  been  there.  This 
report  is  loose  and  unsatisfactory.  It  is  easy  to  see  that  it  is 
not  an  official  one.  In  a  general  fight,  the  surrender  of  one 
vessel  don't  compel  the  rest  of  the  fleet  to  cease  firing.  It  was 
very  natural  that  some  random  shots  should  fly  around  the 
Congress,  and  some  persons  should  get  hurt,  even  with  the 
white  flag  flying.  The  shots  were  not  from  under  the  flag  of 
truce,  but  from  an  infantry  regiment  on  shore.  Parker  and 
Buchanan  knew  the  Congress  was  not  responsible,  yet  they 
opened  fire  upon  her  maimed  heroes. 

"The  disaster  to  our  fleet  was  unavoidable,  because  there 
was  no  suspicion  that  the  rebels  had  an  ironclad  that  could 
cope  with  the  heavy  guns  and  splendid  ships  we  had  in  the 
Roads,"  said  Mr.  Felton.  "  I  am  sorry  that  Buchanan  and 
Minor  cast  their  lot  with  the  enemy,  and  considered  their 
fealty  to  states  more  binding  than  to  the  Nation  which  they 
had  sworn  to  serve.  They  were  good,  brave  fellows;  it  was  a 
pity  to  lose  them  and  all  the  rest  whom  we  knew  so  well." 

"That  states'  rights  question  is  a  difficult  one,"  said  the 
doctor.  "  It  is  my  opinion,  if  a  man  were  influenced  by  senti- 
ment, he  would  go  with  his  state,  if  by  reason,  with  the  Nation. 
I  have  no  doubt  many  officers  left  the  United  States'  service 
in  haste  and  now  repent  at  leisure;  believing  then  they  were 
simply  choosing  between  two  Nations,  whereas,  they  simply 
allied  themselves  with  a  rebellious  faction  which  can  never 
succeed." 

"  It  is  what  might  have  been  expected  from  the  passionate 
and  illogical  Southerners,"  said  Careswell.  "It  is  hard,  how- 
ever, to  fight  against  one's  blood  relations.  I  am  not  so  sure 
we  would  all  be  here,  had  our  states  seceded.  We  should 
have  thought  over  the  matter  long,  however,  and  probably 
have  most  of  us  remained  true  to  the  central  Government. 
The  funny  thing  about  Buchanan's  action  is,  that  neither  his 
native,  nor  his  adopted  state,  seceded,  though  he  probably 
thought  the  former  would." 

"  Well,"  broke  in  Bloss,  "  the  most  of  the  naval  officers  who 
went  South  have  sea-ceded,  that  is,  given  up  sea  for  land  ser- 
vice, for  we  know  they  have  no  navy." 


A    XAVAL   STOEY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  71 

"  What  vessels  they  have  are  mighty  fast,  though,"  said  the 
doctor.     "  There's  the  Florida,  the  " — 

"Sail  ho!"  rang  out  sharply  from  the  lookout  up  in  the 
foretop-mast  cross-trees. 

"Where  away?"  hailed  Sanborn,  who  was  officer-of-the- 
deck. 

"  One  point  on  the  port  bow,  sir !"  came  the  answer. 

"  A^ery  well.  Keep  a  sharp  lookout !"  said  the  officer,  who 
went  up  on  the  pooj)-deck  with  the  quartermaster  and  took  a 
good  look  with  a  spy-glass  at  the  speck  of  ship  and  smoke 
ahead. 

The  executive  looked  at  her  awhile,  and  summoned  the 
captain,  who  remarked,  "  It  is  probably  the  British  mail- 
steamer  from  the  West  Indies." 

The  group  of  officers  scattered  ;  some  went  below,  others  got 
private  glasses  and  looked  at  the  stranger,  and  soon  after  din- 
ner was  served.  Careswell  took  the  deck  at  meridian,  and, 
about  four-bells,  informed  Mr.  Felton  that  'bethought  the 
stranger  had  changed  her  course  more  to  the  north'ard.'  The 
course  of  the  Nautilus  was  altered  a  little  more  to  the  east- 
ward, so  as  gradually  to  draw  nearer  to  the  steamer,  which 
was  now  about  four  miles  away,  steaming  rapidly,  and  leaving 
a  long  trail  of  characteristic,  bituminous,  black  smoke  behind 
her.  The  flag  of  the  Nautilus  was  hoisted,  and  the  stranger 
ran  up  the  British  ensign. 

The  officers  and  men  were  looking  at  the  craft  and  specu- 
lating upon  her  character.  None  of  them  had  seen  a  blockade- 
runner  or  a  rebel  cruiser  at  sea,  and  the  captain  seemed  satis- 
fied the  vessel  was  a  British  steamer.  At  last  Careswell  said 
'Sanborn  had  chased  the  Florida  during  a  flying  cruise.' 

"  Where  is  Mr.  Sanborn  ?"  asked  the  executive. 

"Down  below,  asleep,"  said  several. 

"  Mr.  Ashton,  tell  Mr.  Sanborn  I  want  to  see  him  on  deck 
immediately,"  said  Felton. 

Sanborn  soon  came  up,  rubbing  his  eyes,  and  looked  rather 
sheepishly  at  the  group  of  officers.  He  touched  his  cap  to  the 
executive,  who  told  him  he  wanted  his  opinion  upon  a  sus- 
picious sail. 

"Where  is  she?"  asked  he. 

"  There,  on  the  port  bow,"  was  the  answer. 


72  CRUISING   AXD    BLOCKADING. 

He  looked  at  the  vessel,  started,  grasped  a  glass  quickly  and 
looked  again  a  moment,  then  uttered  an  oath  and  exclaimed, 
"  That's  the  Florida,  sir,  as  sure  as  I'm  a  sinner.  I  chased 
her  last  voyage.  We  almost  caught  her,  and  had  a  good  long 
spell  looking  at  her  during  the  chase,  but  she  gave  us  the  slip 
after  dark." 

The  captain's  face  flushed,  and  he  ordered  Mr.  Felton  to 
make  chase  with  all  steam  and  sail.  All  was  excitement  now. 
The  executive  took  charge  of  the  deck;  "All  hands  make 
sail!"  rang  through  the  ship  from  the  boatswain's  mate;  the 
course  was  changed  directly  for  the  Florida ;  the  royals  and 
several  staysails  were  set ;  the  sails  were  trimmed  carefully ; 
the  screw  was  lowered ;  the  fires  were  unban ked,  coaled,  and 
stirred  up,  and  the  Nautilus  flew  through  the  water  about 
twelve  knots  an  hour. 

The  instant  the  course  of  the  Nautilus  was  changed,  the 
bow  of  the  Florida  swung  around  to  the  southeast,  and  her 
smoke-stack  began  to  belch  forth  great  volumes  of  dense,  black 
smoke,  showing  that  the  fires  were  being  fed  freely,  and  she 
sped  over  the  water  like  a  flying-fish. 

The  sails  of  the  Nautilus  drew  beautifully,  and  the  screw 
revolved  fast  enough  to  add  something  to  the  speed,  yet,  it 
was  apparent,  the  first  half  hour  of  the  chase,  that  the  Flo- 
rida was  drawing  away  from  her.  No.  1  gun's  crew  was  called 
to  quarters  and  the  executive  said,  "  Mr.  Careswell,  take  charge 
of  your  gun  and  see  if  you  can't  reach  her  with  a  shell !" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !"  was  the  reply. 

Careswell  and  the  crew  soon  had  the  30-pounder  rifled 
Parrott  on  the  forecastle  cast  loose  and  ready  for  action,  and 
reported,  "  All  ready,  sir !" 

"  Give  her  extreme  elevation  and  fire  as  the  ship  goes  off  a 
point !" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir  !" 

"  Quartermaster,  keep  her  off  one  point  and  steady !"  or- 
dered Felton. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !     Off  one  point  and  steady  it  is,  sir !" 

All  hands  watched  the  discharge  with  anxiety.  Careswell 
aimed  the  pivot  gun  himself  with  great  care  and  pulled  the 
lockstring.  There  was  a  flash,  a  puff  of  smoke,  a  sharp  re- 
port, a   whizzing  sound,  and  the  shell  flew  high  in  the 


air, 


A    XAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  73 

then  curved  downwards,  struck  the  water,  ricochetted  a  few 
rods,  and  exploded  within  a  hundred  yards  of  the  enemy's 
stern. 

"  Well  done,  sir,"  said  Felton.  "  Load  with  a  heavy  charge 
and  try  her  again." 

The  interest  among  the  initiated  and  the  excitement  of  the 
green  hands  were  intense.  All  were  watching  the  stranger,  and 
noticed  that  she  altered  her  course  a  little  more  to  the  south- 
ward. The  gun  was  loaded  and  another  shell  exploded,  as  it 
seemed  to  the  lookers-on,  just  under  the  stern  of  the  Florida. 
This  caused  a  murmur  of  applause  from  the  men. 

"  You  are  doing  well,  sir,"  said  Felton.  "  Load  and  fire 
as  fast  as  you  can  !" 

The  ship  was  pointed  for  the  Florida,  during  the  intervals 
of  the  discharges,  and  steered  off  a  point  when  the  gun  was 
ready.  The  Nautilus  was  shooting  through  the  water;  the 
Florida  was  going  like  a  bird,  with  her  black  smoke  clouding 
the  sky;  the  shells  were  bursting  just  in  her  wake  every  few 
minutes,  and  every  one  was  hopeful  of  coming  to  close  quar- 
ters, when  there  was  suddenly  an  ominous  flapping  overhead, 
and  the  royals  were  quivering  along  their  weather  luffs.  Every 
sailor's  hopes  sank,  for  it  was  evident  the  ship  was  running 
close  to  the  wind  which  was  changing,  and  the  courses  the  ves- 
sels were  running  would  soon  render  the  square  sails  useless. 

In  another  half  hour,  the  topgallant  sails  and  topsails  were 
flapping  against  the  masts,  and  orders  were  reluctantly  given 
to  take  in  the  square  sails,  which  was  accordingly  done.  The 
Florida  was  slowly  drawing  away,  and  the  officers  and  men 
were  frantic.  The  engines  were  driven  at  their  fullest  speed ; 
several  howitzers  were  moved  from  the  forward  spar-deck  to 
the  quarter-deck,  and  many  of  the  men  were  crowded  aft  to 
keep  the  stern  of  the  ship  down  and  steady,  so  that  the  screw 
might  do  its  best,  but  the  Nautilus  could  not  keep  up  her  former 
speed.  The  Florida  rapidly  increased  the  distance  from  her 
pursuer;  the  Parrott  gun  stopped  talking  and  was  secured; 
the  men  stood  around  and  cursed  their  luck,  and  the  officers 
listened  to  a  lecture  from  Lawson  upon  the  respective  merits 
of  American  contract  and  English  engines.  Everybody  was 
ill-humored  and  disgusted,  and,  when  night  fell  and  hid  the 


74  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING, 

distant  speck  from  sight,  there  was  a  sullen  gloom  about  the 
ship  that  showed  the  bitter  disappointment  of  all  hands. 

Cape  Hatteras  and  Cape  Lookout  were  far  behind,  and 
those  stormy  regions  had  smiled  with  beautiful  weather.  The 
sailors  say, 

"  If  Cape  Lookout  lets  you  pass, 
Then  look  out  for  Hatteras." 

There  was  a  delicious  aroma  in  the  breeze  all  night,  a  fruity, 
flowery  smell,  most  delicious  in  the  nostrils  of  a  brine-soaked 
sailor,  which  told  of  land  not  far  away.  Early  in  the  morn- 
ing, the  lighthouse  and  pretty  island  of  Abaco  were  made  out ; 
the  Nautilus  steamed  up  Northwest  Channel,  past  Stirrup  Key 
and  the  Hens  and  Chickens,  and  away  southeast  from  Carrys- 
fort  light-house.  The  water  was  clear  and  shallow,  showing 
grayish  green  from  the  light  sands  of  the  Great  Bahama  Banks 
below ;  the  deep-sea  lead  was  frequently  thrown  to  mark  the 
depth  of  water,  and  to  bring  up  the  sand  and  tiny  shells  to 
conlirm  the  vessel's  position  upon  the  chart. 

The  next  night  was  foggy,  and  the  sea  was  as  smooth  as 
glass;  the  ship  rocked  gently  upon  the  lazy  billows,  and 
steamed  onward  slowly.  Suddenly  in  the  still  night  came  a 
cry  from  the  forecastle  lookout,  "  Sail  ho !  Hard  a  starboard  ! 
A  schooner,  sir,  dead  ahead  !" 

Careswell  wa«  deck-officer  and  upon  the  bridge.  He  imme- 
diately yelled,  "  Hard  a  starboard,  Quartermaster !"  and,  at 
the  same  moment,  pulled  the  bell  to  the  engineer  to  "stop," 
and  another  to  "  back,"  and  the  Nautilus  almost  touched  the 
schooner's  side. 

It  was  dead  calm  and  the  small  vessel  was  helpless.  The 
Nautilus  was  turned  around  and  run  back  near  the  schooner. 

"  Schooner  ahoy  !  What  schooner  is  that  ?"  shouted  Cares- 
well. 

"  Schooner  Harcourt,  of  Wilton,  S.  C. !"  was  the  answer. 

"  Where  are  you  from  and  where  bound  ?" 

"  From  South  Edisto,  bound  to  Nassau !" 

"  What  is  your  cargo?" 

"  Eighty-four  bales  of  sea- island  cotton  !" 

"  Very  well ;  I  will  send  a  boat  on  board  !" 

The  second  cutter  was  piped  away  by  the  boatswain's  mate 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  <0 

the  boat  was  manned  with  armed  men,  and  Mr.  Sanborn  was 
sent  to  board.  He  soon  returned  with  the  captain,  the  owner, 
and  first  mate  of  the  schooner,  which  he  had  seized  as  a  prize, 
and  he  had  bronglit  lier  papers  and  a  Confederate  and  an 
English  flag. 

Capt.  Prescott  and  Mr.  Felton  had  been  called,  in  the  mean 
time,  and  were  ready  to  receive  the  prisoners  and  to  hear  their 
story.  The  captain  had  run  the  blockade  successfully,  and 
expected  to  reach  Xassau  easily,  but  he  had  only  coasted  along 
shore,  did  not  understand  navigation  well,  had  lost  his  reckon- 
ing, owing  to  squally  weather  and  strange  currents,  and  was 
glad  to  be  captured  and  saved  from  shipwreck  and  danger. 
The  owner  of  the  vessel  and  cargo,  who  had  never  been  to  sea 
before,  was  equally  rejoiced  at  his  rescue  from  a  watery  grave, 
but  he  thought  he  paid  rather  dear  for  the  ransom.  The  offi- 
cers and  owner  were  messed  with  the  warrant  officers  forwards, 
and  the  sailors  of  the  schooner  were  divided  between  the 
watches,  under  the  surveillance  of  the  petty  officers. 

The  Nautilus  lay  by  the  prize  nearly  all  night,  putting  pro- 
visions, water,  luggage,  instruments,  charts,  etc.,  on  board,  and 
the  senior  midshipman,  Mr.  Osborne,  and  a  crew  of  eight  good 
sailors  were  transferred  to  her,  with  orders  to  proceed  to  Phila- 
delphia and  report  to  the  Commandant  of  the  Navy  Yard. 
A  breeze  sprang  up  towards  morning,  the  schooner  sailed  away 
to  the  northward,  with  hearty  cheers  from  both  crews,  and 
arrived  home  safely. 

The  fog  had  not  lifted  yet,  and  twice  during  the  night  the 
flapping  of  sails  and  the  voices  of  men  indicated  the  presence 
of  vessels,  which,  when  pursued  by  the  Nautilus,  vanished  in 
the  darkness  like  {)hantom  ships.  The  escaping  steam  warned 
them  in  time  of  the  presence  of  a  steaaier  lying-to — a  suspi- 
cious circumstance  in  those  waters — and  they  changed  their 
courses  luckily  in  directions  which  the  Nautilus  did  not  happen 
to  strike.  It  was  presumed  they  were  blockade  runners  on 
the  way  to  or  from  Nassau,  although  they  may  have  belonged 
to  the  merchant  marine  of  the  North. 

After  the  prize  had  cleared  away,  the  Nautilus  proceeded 
on  her  course  at  a  moderate  rate  of  speed,  and  the  officers  and 
men  of  the  watch  below,  who  had  all  been  on  deck  assisting 
in  the  work,  turned  in  to  their  bunks  and  dream-bags.     Hardly 


76  CRUISIXG   AND    BLOCKADIXa. 

had  they  fallen  asleep,  before  they  were  awakened  by  a  shrill 
cry  of  "  Breakers  ahead !  Hard  a  port !"  and  the  violent 
ringing  of  the  signal  bells  in  the  engine-room.  The  officers 
and  men  rushed  upon  deck,  clothes  in  hand,  and  forward  upon 
the  forecastle  to  see  the  threatening  reef. 

Here  they  saw,  not  jagged  rocks,  lashed  by  foaming,  roar- 
ing surf,  but  an  enormous  turtle,  probably  Sphargis  coriacea, 
fully  ten  feet  in  length,  throwing  out  its  enormous  flippers  and 
sporting  upon  the  surface  of  the  rippled  ocean.  He  seemed 
for  a  time  unconscious  of  any  intruders  upon  his  domain,  but 
the  engine  was  started,  the  screw  began  to  churn  up  the  water 
and  drive  the  ship  ahead,  and  this  king  of  the  Chelonia  pad- 
dled lazily  away,  and  sank  gradually  below  the  surface  and 
out  of  sight. 

Everybody  had  a  good  laugh  at  the  scare,  though  it  had 
been  so  severe  to  a  few  that  they  felt  more  like  crying — so  near 
are  laughter  and  tears.  Such  a  night  of  excitement  had  not 
before  been  experienced  on  board ;  there  was  little  slumber  in 
the  ship  the  remainder  of  the  night,  and  everybody  was  glad 
to  turn  out  early  and  get  a  cup  of  matutinal  coffee  with  hard- 
tack. 

The  next  day  was  warm  and  sultry  and  tlie  men  were  or- 
dered into  straw  hats  and  white  shirts.  Their  black  hat-bands 
bore  the  name  Nautilus  in  golden  letters;  the  corners  of  their 
shirt  collars  were  embroidered  with  blue  stars;  the  shirt 
bosoms  of  some  of  the  j)etty  officers  bore  the  national  coat-of- 
arms,  the  sleeves,  the  typical  anchor,  and  the  heavy  shoes  were 
replaced  by  light  slippers.  The  officers  off  duty  donned  straw 
hats  and  white  pants,  and  the  whole  ship  appeared  lively, 
cheerful  and  summery.  A  sudden  squall,  with  heavy  thunder, 
sharp  lightning  and  cold  rain,  forced  a  change  back  to  the  ha- 
biliments of  winter,  in  the  afternoon,  and  the  wind  hauled 
around  to  the  northward  and  increased  to  a  gale. 

A  schooner  under  close  reefs  was  sighted,  overhauled,  and 
ordered  to  heave  to,  but  either  the  captain  did  not  hear,  or  was 
too  much  frightened  to  give  the  proper  orders,  and  a  blank 
cartridge  was  fired.  This  seemed  to  frighten  him  much,  and 
he  paid  off  sheets  and  tried  to  run  away.  Then  a  30-pounder 
Parrott  shell  was  fired  through  his  mainsail  and  exploded  be- 
yond, and  he  hove  to  the  wind,  shivering  upon  the  quarter- 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  77 

deck,  as  much  as  his  mainsail  aloft.  An  officer  was  sent  on 
board  the  supposed  prize,  and  great  was  the  disgust  of  all  to 
learn,  when  he  returned,  that  it  was  a  Boston  vessel,  loaded 
with  molasses,  having  papers  all  right,  just  out  of  Matanzas 
and  bound  to  New  York.  The  captain  supposed  the  Nautilus 
to  be  the  Alabama,  hence  his  perturbation.  The  vessels  ex- 
changed salutes  by  dipping  colors  and  sped  on  their  way,  one 
to  the  icy  north,  the  other  towards  the  region  of  perpetual 
summer. 

The  next  morning  the  sky  was  cloudy  and  angry  ;  the  wind 
was  singing  and  roaring  through  the  rigging ;  the  great  waves 
were  jumping  up  the  sides  of  the  ship  like  a  lap-dog  for 
caresses;  the  spray  was  flying  over  the  forecastle  with  each 
plunge  of  the  rolling,  struggling  ship;  the  upper  yards  were 
sent  down  and  everything  lashed  securely;  the  men  were 
dressed  in  oil-jackets  and  sou'westers,  and  gathered  in  little 
knots  under  the  bulwarks,  holding  on  by  rail-pins  and  gun 
tackles ;  the  two  helmsmen  and  the  quartermaster  held  the 
wheel  and  glanced  occasionally  from  the  compass  in  the  bin- 
nacle to  the  bow  of  the  uneasy  vessel ;  the  officer-of-the-deck 
had  left  the  bridge  and  was  walking  up  and  down  the  quarter- 
deck in  the  lee  of  the  rail ;  the  Mother  Carey's  chickens  were 
darting  and  chirping  astern  ;  the  gulls  were  sailing  around  and 
screaming  sharply,  and  everything  about  was  dismal  and 
threatening. 

Down  below  it  was  not  much  more  agreeable.  The  bunks, 
tables  and  shelves  were  creaking  and  cracking;  the  chairs  and 
camp-stools  made  sudden  and  noisy  excursions  around  the 
rooms,  when  they  worked  loose  from  their  lashings;  tlie 
crockery,  china,  glass  and  silver  ware  rattled,  jingled  and  rang, 
as  it  moved  about  in  the  pocketed  shelves  prepared  for  it;  the 
wardroom  boys  tumbled  about,  as  they  put  the  guards  and 
rails  upon  the  table  for  breakfast,  and  the  officers  steadied 
themselves  by  doors  and  partitions,  put  on  their  clothes  with 
difficulty,  then  ventured  to  show  their  faces  above  the  com- 
panion way,  and  shrank  shivering  back  from  the  cold  pelting 
rain. 

The  Norther  had  come  suddenly;  the  thermometer  had 
fallen  from  temperate  to  frigid  ;  the  bodies  and  hopes  of  those, 
who  the  day  before  had  rejoiced  in  balmy,  summer  air,  were 


78  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

chilled,  and  the  storm  necessitated  slower  speed  towards  the 
coast  of  Cuba. 

The  Norther  is  well  known  and  dreaded  by  the  citizens  and 
sailors  of  the  South.  It  drives  the  enervated  to  shelter;  it 
nips  the  tender  buds  of  the  orange  and  vine;  it  prostrates 
poorly  built  houses  and  stately  trees  ;  it  splits  sails,  breaks  off 
topmasts,  and  strews  the  shores  with  wrecks. 

Sailors  like  storms.  There  is  something  majestic  in  a  fu- 
rious gale.  The  spirit  rises  with  the  wind  and  waves.  The 
force  and  energy  increase  with  the  elemental  war  and  the  ne- 
cessity for  action.  A  sailor  is  obliged  to  exert  his  power,  his 
skill,  his  nautical  knowledge  to  save  himself  and  vessel  from 
destruction,  and  the  very  exercise  of  these  makes  him  feel 
proud  that  he  can  conquer  often  in  the  most  adverse  circum- 
stances. He  passes  through  manifold  dangers;  he  has  hun- 
dreds of  hairbreadth  escapes  in  a  lifetime,  and  thinks  no  more 
of  them  than  he  would  of  the  ordinary  incidents  of  life  in  a 
metropolis.  He  loves  to  talk  about  them.  His  mind  is  full 
of  oi't  rej)eated  experiences.  His  tongue  is  ever  ready  to  tell 
them  to  listeners.  They  are  his  literature,  his  library  of  use- 
ful knowledge ;  they  are  so  strange,  so  startling,  so  extravagant 
to  the  dwellers  upon  terra firma,  that  they  are  disbelieved  by 
the  ignorant,  the  unimaginative  and  the  untravelled.  Jack  is 
said  to  spin  yarns.  He  does  sometimes  draw  upon  his  imagi- 
nation;  but  he  tells  not  the  half  of  what  he  might  tell,  in 
truth,  of  his  voyage  of  life,  far  surpassing  in  thrilling  interest 
that  to  which  objection  is  made.  Jack  is  a  specialist,  and 
none  who  have  not  pursued  a  parallel  course  with  him  can  be 
fit  judges  of  his  character.  Landsmen  should  not  presume  to 
sit  in  judgment,  or  they  may  be  as  ridiculous  as  the  old  lady 
whose  son  had  made  a  voyage  to  the  West  Indies.  He  told 
her  that  "out  to  sea,  one  night,  he  hung  a  lantern  u|)  in  the 
rigging,  and  so  many  flying-fish  came  on  board  that  the  crew 
had  enough  for  breakfast;  and,  down  in  Cuba,  there  were 
hills  of  sugar  and  rivers  of  rum." 

"  I  may  well  believe  there  are  hills  of  sugar  and  rivers  of 
rum,"  said  the  wise  old  lady,  "  but  fish  that  fly  the  good  Lord 
never  did  see." 

"Tell  that  to  marines "  is  an  old  saying,  because  they,  of 
all  a  ship's  company,  are  generally  the  fresiiest  and  greenest. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  79 

Jack  ought  to  be  credited  with  a  fair  presentation  of  facts, 
except  when  he  is  talking  to  marines.  It  is  undeniable  that 
he  does  sometimes  lie  to  these  unsophisticated  and  credulous 
individuals. 

Jack  glories  in  a  rousing  gale  off  Hatteras  or  Cape  Clear, 
but  he  hates  the  sneaking,  chilling,  savage  Norther,  that 
comes  plunging  into  tiie  pleasures  of  a  warm,  tropic  day,  like 
a  drunken  loaler  into  an  assembly  of  refined  ladies,  and  any 
one  who  has  experienced  one  of  these  cruel  blasts  will  feel  as 
he  does. 

Old  Brenneman,  one  of  the  boatswain's  mates,  was  particu- 
larly grumpy  upon  this  disagreeable  day,  and,  if  the  men  did 
not  jump  quickly  to  obey  orders  when  he  blew  his  shrill 
whistle,  he  would  swear  like  a  pirate.  He  was  sixty-three 
years  old;  his  hair  and  whiskers  were  as  white  as  snow;  he 
had  only  two  teeth  left,  and  was  obliged  to  soak  his  hard-tack 
in  coffee  or  tea  before  eating  it.  He  was  broad  shouldered, 
gaunt  and  thin ;  scarred  by  accidents  and  battered  by  long 
service,  and  a  fit  subject  for  an  easy  chair  and  a  chimney 
corner,  but  woe  to  any  one  who  hinted  at  his  senility  or  scofTed 
at  his  waning  prowess. 

Twenty-one  years'  service  in  the  Navy  entitles  a  man  to  a 
snug  and  comfortable  home  the  remainder  of  his  days  in 
a  Naval  Asylum.  This  brave  old  man  had  been  in  constant 
service  for  thirty-two  years,  and  still  preferred  "a  life  on  the 
ocean  wave,"  to  repose  in  the  sailor's  snug  harbor. 

He  said  he  had  never  been  married — no  soldier  or  sailor 
had  any  right  to  marry.  He  had  given  a  landsman  brother 
$1300  out  of  his  savings  and  asked  no  interest  or  rej)ayment. 
Uncle  Sam  was  a  good  enough  relation  for  him,  and  some 
day,  when  he  became  old,  he  intended  to  retire  and  write  a 
book.  He  had  a  firm  belief  that  the  good  Lord  would  not  be 
hard  on  poor  Jack,  but  judge  him  according  to  his  opportuni- 
ties. He  said  one  day,  "  the  fellows  who  doubt  the  existence 
of  Deity  always  have  badly  shaped  heads,"  and  then  quoted, 

"  No  God  !  the  simplest  flower, 
That  on  the  earth  is  found  ; 
Shrinks  as  it  drinks  its  cup  of  dew, 
And  trembles  at  the  sound." 


80  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

He  would  talk  in  the  sweetest  and  most  touching  manner  of 
the  Saviour's  sacrifice  for  man,  and  say, 

"  There's  a  sweet  little  cherub  sits  way  up  aloft, 
To  keep  watch  o'er  the  life  of  poor  Jack." 

and,  a  few  moments  afterwards,  get  in  a  furious  passion  be- 
cause some  clumsy  sailor  would   not  do  what  was  wanted 

promptly,  say  "the landlubbers  can't  climb,"  and  swear 

in  a  way  to  make  one  shudder.  Jack's  sins  are  numerous, 
and  he  is  hardly  capable  of  works  of  supererogation.  May 
his  faith  be  strong  and  his  good  deeds  count  well  up  aloft. 

The  Norther  was  full  of  misery.  Smoking  and  talking 
upon  deck  were  reduced  to  a  minimum,  owing  to  the  wind 
and  rain.  Writing  at  the  mess-table  was  out  of  the  question, 
on  account  of  the  violeut  movements  of  the  vessel.  Some 
officers  lay  in  their  bunks  and  slept  or  read  ;  others  gathered 
with  camp-stools  in  the  country,  which  was  warmed  by  the 
heat  that  came  through  the  open  engine-room  door,  and  dis- 
cussed physics  with  the  engineers,  and  told  stories  with  the 
middies;  all  were  glad  when  the  meals  were  served,  as  the 
efforts  to  keep  one's  balance  and  to  save  the  dishes  and  rations 
from  disaster  led  to  misadventure  and  hilarity. 

The  storm  abated  somewhat  in  the  afternoon,  and  a  brig 
was  sighted  and  made  to  heave  to.  A  boat  was  lowered  and 
Mr.  Sanborn  and  a  crew  attempted  to  man  her,  but  she  nearly 
swamped  alongside,  the  officer  lost  his  cap,  and,  as  the  vessel 
hoisted  French  colors  and  looked  like  a  Johnny  Crapaud,  she 
was  allowed  to  proceed  and  the  boat  was  hoisted  up.  The 
night  was  dark  and  threatening  and  many  felt  dismal  fore- 
bodings as  they  turned  in  to  sleep. 


A   ^■AVAL  STORY   OF  THE   LATE   WAR.  81 


CHAPTER  VII. 

The  next  morning  the  sun  was  shining  brightly,  the  wind 
was  blowing  soft  and  warm  from  the  southwest,  the  sea  was 
going  down,  and  the  Nautilus  was  steaming  rapidly  to  the 
southward.  Just  after  quarters,  the  lookout  aloft  shouted, 
"  Land  ho!  Dead  ahead,  sir!"  and  the  Pan  y  Matanzus  and 
high,  bold  coast  of  Cuba  soon  after  broke  through  the  mist 
and  gladdened  the  hearts  of  everybody.  The  light-houses  of 
Santa  Cruz  and  Moro  Castle,  the  line  of  fortifications  upon 
the  shore,  and  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  haven,  were  soon 
in  plain  view,  and  the  Nautilus  steamed  boldly  in  among  the 
numerous  sail,  which  always  flit  in  and  out  among  the  buoys 
that  mark  the  channels  of  a  great  harbor,  until  a  gun  from 
Moro  Castle  warned  her  to  stop  and  submit  to  a  visit  from  the 
Health  officers. 

The  engines  were  stopped,  a  boat  flying  the  Spanish  flag 
pulled  out  from  a  pier  and  came  alongside,  two  Spanish  offi- 
cers in  full  uniform,  wearing  their  swords,  were  received  at 
the  gangway  by  the  officer-of-the-deck  and  Mr.  Felton  and 
conducted  below.  A  glass  of  sherry  all  around  ;  a  few  ques- 
tions and  answers  between  the  strangers  and  Mr.  Felton  and 
Surgeon  Willett,  and  they  all  appeared  upon  deck  again, 
shook  hands,  touched  their  caps,  and  the  visitors  departed. 
The  engines  were  started,  "  All  hands  come  to  anchor  !"  was 
called  for  the  men  to  take  their  stations,  the  vessel  moved 
slowly  through  the  channel  into  the  basin,  and  dropped  her 
anchor  near  several  men-of-war  at  the  upper  part  of  the  har- 
bor of  Havana. 

The  narrow  channel  seaward  and  the  nearly  circular  harbor, 
surrounded  by  sloping  hills,  resembled  a  frying  pan  in  shape, 
and  the  stillness  of  the  air  and  the  heat  of  the  afternoon  sun 
seemed  to  make  frying  a  possibility.  The  green  hillsides, 
winding  roads,  little  white-walled  gardens  and  houses,  foreign 
architecture  and  green,  feathery  palm  trees,  made  a  picture 
fair  to  look  upon. 


82  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

Vessels  of  many  nationalities  lay  along  the  docks  or  were 
anchored  around,  and  rowboats,  sailboats  and  little  steamers 
were  shooting  across  the  harbor  in  every  direction.  A  man- 
of-war  boat,  flying  the  Spanish  ensign,  came  alongside;  a 
Spanish  lieutenant  came  on  board,  presented  the  compliments 
of  the  Spanish  Admiral  in  command  of  the  West  India 
Squadron,  and  offered  Captain  Prescott  the  hospitality  of  the 
port  and  any  as'^istance  that  might  be  needed.  Lieutenant- 
commander  Felton  and  the  deck-ofiicer  received  him,  his  card 
was  sent  down  to  Captain  Prescott,  Mr.  Felton  conducted  him 
below  and  introduced  him,  and  he  delivered  his  message  again, 
after  the  trio  had  discussed  a  bottle  of  sherry.  The  captain 
returned  his  compliments  and  thanks,  and  announced  his  in- 
tention of  paying  his  respects  to  the  admiral  upon  the  morrow, 
then  adieux  were  said  and  the  officer  was  shown  over  the  side 
with  the  same  punctilious  regard  to  naval  etiquette  as  upon 
his  ai'rival. 

The  awnings  were  spread,  the  windsails  hoisted  in  the 
hatchways,  the  ci'ew  was  ordered  into  summer  clothing,  and 
the  ship  cleared  up  fore  and  aft.  Then  there  was  a  call  to 
quarters,  the  Spanish  flag  was  run  up  to  the  fore  truck,  the 
magazine  was  opened,  and  an  admiral's  salute  of  thirteen  guns 
was  fired  from  the  24-pounder  howitzers.  About  an  hour 
later,  the  Spanish  flag-ship  returned  the  salute  gun  for  gun, 
with  the  American  flag  flying  from  her  fore  truck.  This  cus- 
tomary etiquette  being  over,  the  captain  ordered  his  gig,  took 
the  doctor  along,  went  ashore  to  pay  his  resj)ects  to  the  Consul 
General  of  the  United  States  and  to  the  Governor  General  of 
Cuba,  and  returned  after  dark  with  a  small  mail-bag  and  some 
news. 

"  Yellow  fever  is  bad  among  the  merchantmen  and  quite 
prevalent  on  shore,"  said  the  doctor,  after  the  few  letters  had 
been  read,  some  fine  Havana  Principe  cigars  had  been  dis- 
tributed, and  the  wardroom  mess  had  assembled  in  the  accus- 
tomed place  on  the  port  side  for  an  evening  smoke.  "  You 
must  take  frequent  baths,  put  on  your  merino  underclothes, 
drink  little  water  and  wine,  eat  little  meat,  beware  of  unripe 
fruit,  keep  out  of  the  sun  as  much  as  possible,  and  avoid  get- 
ting wet  and  then  sitting  around  in  the  night  air." 

"  All  right,   Doctor,"  said  Careswell ;   "  I  don't  want  to 


A    NAVAL   STORY    OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  83 

leave  my  bones  upon  this  island,  beautiful  as  it  is.  I  was 
shocked  by  a  merchant  ship's  boat  passing  near  us  this  evening, 
having  six  poor  fellows  laid  out  in  the  stern.  They  were  cov- 
ered with  a  tarpaulin,  but  it  was  not  large  enough  and  the 
feet  and  heads  could  be  plainly  seen.  They  went  across  the 
harbor  to  an  out  of  the  way  cemetery,  I  suppose  the  potter's 
field,  where  their  friends  will  never  be  able  to  find  them, 
even  if  they  can  bear  tlie  expense  of  removal.  They  put 
people  out  of  the  way  here  with  short  prayers  and  little  cere- 
mony, when  they  die  of  yellow  fever,  just  as  they  do  the  pau- 
pers in  Paris." 

"Bah!  you  make  me  shudder,"  said  Ashton.  "Do  you 
think  we  are  in  danger.  Doctor?" 

"  We  are  always  in  danger,"  said  the  doctor  gravely. 
"Every  naval  man  takes  his  life  in  his  hand,  when  he  goes 
cruising  about  the  world.  The  coast  of  Africa  is  our  most 
dangerous  station.  The  vessels  are  not  allowed  up  the  rivers 
unless  absolutely  necessary;  do  not  communicate  with  the 
shore  between  sunset  and  sunrise,  and  must  anchor  as  far  off 
shore  as  possible  to  avoid  the  terrible  malaria,  which  is  deadly 
to  every  foreigner.  The  native  Kroomen  are  employed  to  do 
all  the  boating  necessary,  and  the  crews  of  our  vessels  are  often 
sent  to  the  Canaries  or  home  to  recuperate." 

"I  think  this  place  is  nearly  as  dangerous;  it  is  much 
worse  than  Rio  de  Janeiro  for  Yellow  Jack,  because  of  its 
situation.  Here  we  lie  in  the  bottom  of  a  tub  ;  the  Avind  can- 
not blow  much,  owing  to  the  surrounding  hills;  the  water  is 
foul  with  the  sewage  of  the  city,  and  the  tides  and  sea  cannot 
replace  and  purify  it  on  account  of  the  narrow  channel  in- 
wards. We  are  floating  upon  a  bay  of  filth ;  the  fish  in  it 
are  not  fit  to  eat,  and  the  vessels  that  wash  decks  are  sure  to 
get  the  fever.  We  shall  not  wash  our  decks  here,  and  not  a 
bucket  of  water  should  be  drawn  by  the  men  for  any  pur- 
pose." 

"  Will  we  have  to  stay  aboard  all  the  time?"  asked  Bloss. 

"  No.  You  can  go  ashore  after  five  or  six  o'clock,  but  must 
take  care  not  to  get  overheated,  nor  to  get  wet  by  the  sudden 
showers." 

"What's  the  news  from  home?"  asked  the  paymaster. 

"  Oh,  very  little.     The  war  goes  on  all  right.     We  have 


84  CRUISIKG   AND   BLOCKADING. 

won  a  few  battles,  and  every  one  thinks  the  war  will  soon  be 
ended." 

"Yes?  So  everybody  thought  in  'Gl,  but  we  are  in  for  a 
long  struggle,  I  tliink." 

"  Did  you  see  the  Governor  General  ?" 

"  No ;  he  was  away,  but  an  aid-de-camp  was  very  hos- 
pitable." 

"  Did  you  meet  our  Consul  General  ?" 

"Yes,  and  he  will  be  aboard  to-morrow.  lie  says  there  is 
great  curiosity  to  see  the  Nautilus.  She  has  been  the  talk  of 
the  place  for  weeks.  The  blockade-runners  are  here  in  force 
and  they  are  especially  anxious." 

"  I  saw  half  a  dozen  of  them  across  the  harbor,  flying  the 
stars  and  bars,"  said  Careswell.  "  The  impudent  scoundrels ! 
One  of  them  pulled  down  a  small  flag  and  hoisted  a  large  one 
just  for  our  benefit,  soon  after  we  came  to  anchor.  I'd  like 
to  go  over  and  scuttle  her,  if  the  captain  would  give  me 
leave." 

"  You'd  have  a  nice  time  of  it  before  you  finished,"  said 
Ashton.  "  We  could  read  a  newspaper  through  you  in  the 
morning.  You'd  be  riddled  with  bullets  before  you  had  bored 
two  auger  holes." 

"  Well,  I  would  try  it  anyway,"  said  Careswell  doggedly, 

"The  English  are  to  blame  for  this  state  of  affairs,"  said 
Mr.  Felton.  "If  they  had  not  granted  the  South  belligerent 
rights,  these  vessels  would  be  seized  as  pirates." 

"  The  blockade-runners  are  swaggering  around  the  city 
every  night  and  frequently  attack  American  sailors,"  said 
Willett.  "  The  captain  said  to-night  that  every  officer  must 
wear  his  side-arms  ashore.  The  North  is  in  high  favor  among 
the  Cuban  merchants,  but  the  slave-holders  and  the  grandees 
sympathize  with  the  South.  My  greenbacks  were  taken  for 
only  fifty  cents  on  the  dollar,  however,  which  don't  show  much 
respect  for  Northern  finances." 

"  Is  the  Confederate  money  worth  anything?"  asked  Bloss. 

"No;  the  blockade-runners  all  pay  with  gold.  The  crews 
are  made  up  of  English,  Irish  and  Southerners,  and  they  don't 
like  shinplasters.  Money  is  advanced  here  on  cotton,  which 
is  to  be  delivered  by  the  vessels  in  England,  though  some  of 
it  is  unloaded  here  and  sent  to  Europe  by  regular  European 


A    XAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  85 

st'^araers.  All  the  cotton  brought  in  here  by  small  vessels  is 
sold  outright,  and  the  money  invested  in  supplies  for  the  re- 
turn cargoes." 

Night  had  fallen  and  the  lights  twinkled  like  stars  among 
the  shipping  and  in  the  city  and  away  over  the  surrounding 
hills.  A  gentle  breeze,  perfumed  by  many  flowers,  came  over 
the  placid  bay  and  entered  the  gun-ports.  The  sounds  of  dip- 
ping oars,  the  ship's  bells  striking  the  hours,  the  hum  of  the 
city  streets,  and  the  tinkle  of  a  guitar  in  a  little  easa  upon  the 
hillside,  invited  to  repose  and  revery.  Nowhere  in  the  world 
does  one  experience  such  calm,  delicious,  soothing  influences, 
as  in  the  tropics  after  the  fervent  heat  of  the  day  is  passed. 
No  pleasure  on  board  ship  can  compare  to  swinging  in  a  ham- 
mock beneath  the  awning  upon  the  quarter-deck  of  a  man-of- 
war,  in  Havana,  and  adding  perfume  to  the  soft,  sweet,  even- 
ing air  from  a  prime  Principe. 

The  contrast  between  the  stormy  night  at  sea  and  the  fol- 
lowing night  in  port  was  great  and  impressive,  and  every  one 
felt  that  it  was  almost  like  a  transition  from  purgatory  to 
paradise.  Tattoo  had  been  sounded  by  the  different  men-of- 
war  in  port,  and  all  the  wardroom  lights  had  been  extinguished, 
long  before  the  officers  turned  in  to  dream  of  orange  groves 
and  seiioritas. 

The  next  day  the  ship  was  cleaned  up  with  extra  care,  an 
early  boat  was  sent  to  market  for  fresh  vegetables  and  fruit, 
the  broad  pennant  and  the  large  ensign  were  hoisted  at  nine 
o'clock,  the  side  steps  were  shipped  at  the  gangway  and  draped 
with  bunting,  and  everything  took  on  a  holiday  appearance. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  Consul  General  of  the  United  States  came 
on  board  and  was  received  at  tlie  gangway  by  Capt.  Prescott 
and  the  officers  of  the  ship,  in  full  dress  uniform,  and  a  salute 
of  nine  guns  was  fired  in  his  honor.  He  was  delighted  with 
the  Nautilus,  and  enjoyed,  as  heartily  as  did  the  officers,  the 
running  conversation  of  home  and  the  social  amenities  of  the 
occasion.  He  extended  the  hospitalities  of  his  establishment 
to  all,  and  proved  that  he  was  a  noble  representative  of  his 
country. 

He  had  no  sooner  gone,  than  a  beautiful  barge,  flying  the 
Imperial  flag  of  Spain,  was  reported  approaching  the  ship,  and 
the  Governor  General  of  Cuba,  with  a  brilliant  staff",  came 


86  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

alongside  and  up  the  gangway.  He  was  received  by  the  cap- 
tain and  some  of  the  officers;  the  marines  were  in  line  upon 
the  port  side  of  the  quarter-deck ;  the  men  were  stationed  at 
quarters,  and  the  Spanish  ensign  was  run  up  to  the  fore  truck. 
As  the  visitors  stepped  upon  deck,  three  ruffles  of  the  drum 
were  heard,  the  officers  and  men  raised  their  caps,  the  marines 
presented  arms,  and  a  salute  of  fifteen  guns  was  fired.  The 
gentlemen  were  conducted  over  the  ship;  spent  half  an  hour 
in  the  cabin  and  wardroom,  conversing  in  passable  English 
and  excellent  French,  and  departed  with  many  thanks,  pro- 
fuse offers  of  friendship  and  hospitality,  and  the  customary 
honors.  One  of  the  visitors  gave  Care.swell  his  card  bearing 
the  following,  "  Juan  Montalvo,  No.  49  Calle  dela  Pense- 
verancia.  Una  casa  y  un  amlgo  a  su  disposicion."  The 
gentleman  meant  ail  he  said  and  was  a  firm  friend  as  long  as 
the  Nautilus  remained  in  the  .squadron. 

After  dinner  the  Spanish  Admiral  came  on  board  to  pay  his 
respects  and  was  received  like  the  Governor  General,  except 
that  two  ruffles  of  the  drum  were  given,  and  only  thirteen 
guns  were  fired.  He  was  entertained  royally  by  Capt,  Pres- 
cott,  and  was  greatly  interested  in  a  critical  survey  of  the 
ship. 

"That  fellow  knows  a 'belaying-pin  from  a  marlin-spike," 
said  old  Brenneman.  "He'll  go  and  copy  all  our  Yankee  in- 
ventions in  his  old  tub  over  there.  " 

The  admiral  departed  with  the  usual  formalities  and  every 
one  felt  relieved.  The  offlcial  visits  were  over,  and  the  offlcers 
and  crew  were  tired  of  full  dress  and  naval  parade.  Visitors, 
military  and  civil,  foreign  and  native,  handsome  and  hideous, 
kept  coming  on  board  till  supper  time,  and  they  had  to  be 
shown  about,  wined,  and  talked  to  in  different  languages, 
until  every  part  of  the  ship  resounded  with  polyglots,  and 
one  might  have  thought  a  school  of  Philology  had  been  es- 
tablished, or  the  Babylonic  confusion  was  being  rehearsed  by 
amateurs.  Tongues  and  legs  were  .so  tired  after  the  exodus 
of  sight-.seers,  that  not  an  officer  asked  to  go  ashore ;  the  even- 
ing smoke  and  conversation  were  interrupted  by  yawns  and 
cat-naps,  and  one  after  another  took  his  camp-stool  and  went 
silently  to  bed. 

The  next  morning  there  was  exercise  sending  up  and  down 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  87 

the  yards  and  topmasts,  and,  later,  barges  came  alongside  and 
the  men  were  put  to  work  coaling  ship.  Scores  of  visitors, 
including  some  American  and  Cuban  ladies,  came  aljoard,  and 
the  officers  were  busy  entertaining  them  till  the  shatles  of  even- 
ing fell.  After  supper  several  officers  from  the  steerage  and 
wardroom  went  ashore  in  the  second  cutter  and  the  captain 
followed  in  his  gig. 

There  is  an  excellent  macadamized  road  leading  through 
pretty  gardens  and  broad  estates  away  from  the  city  and  over 
the  hills  around  the  harbor.  It  is  well  shaded  by  palm, 
mango  and  avacada  trees,  and  is  deliciously  cool  in  the  early 
evening.  It  is  a  favorite  resort  of  the  elite  of  the  city  after 
dinner,  and  is  crowded  for  hours  with  the  peculiar  Cuban  car- 
riages, called  volantes.  A  volante  is  a  covered  chaise  with 
extremely  long  shafts,  and  the  driver,  in  top  boots  and  livery, 
rides  the  horse.  He  is  about  ten  feet  ahead  of  the  occupants 
of  the  carriage  and  can  not  hear  the  conversation  behind,  which 
has  its  advantages.  The  chaise  is  lined  with  silk  of  a  color  to 
harmonize  with  the  complexions  of  the  ladies,  and  their  cos- 
tumes are  in  harmony  with  it,  so  that  a  very  agreeable  tout 
ensemble  is  produced.  A  blonde  has  a  blue  lining  to  the 
chaise  and  wears  a  white  dress;  a  brunette,  a  lining  of  crim- 
son and  wears  pink ;  a  blonde  and  brunette  in  the  same  car- 
riage would  have  a  lining  of  black  and  wear  blue  and  buflP, 
The  ladies  generally  have  nothing  upon  the  head  except  their 
luxuriant  hair  in  massive  braids,  but  they  carry  a  lace  man- 
tilla to  throw  over  the  head  and  shoulders  when  the  air  be- 
comes cool.  Gentlemen  accompany  their  ladies  on  horseback, 
and  the  long  lines  of  carriages  and  gallant  riders  present  a 
fashionable  procession  of  exceeding  interest  to  natives  and  for- 
eigners. 

After  the  evening  ride,  the  volantes  are  arranged  around 
the  Plaza  da  Armaz,  a  park,  full  of  beautiful  flowers  and 
noble  orange  and  palm  trees  situated  in  the  heart  of  the  city, 
in  front  of  the  Governor  General's  palace  and  the  Louvre  and 
Dominica  restaurants,  where  the  band  plays  all  the  evening, 
and  the  people  assemble  to  sip  wines  and  eat  ices  and  cakes. 

The  officers  of  the  Nautilus  arrived  at  the  Plaza  just  in  time 
to  see  the  volantes  and  their  attendants  returning  from  their 
evening  ride.     The  drivers  dismounted  and  held  the  horses  of 


88  CRUISINO   AXD   BLOCKADING. 

the  carriages  and  their  attendants.  Some  of  the  ladies  re- 
mained in  their  seats,  partook  of  refreshments,  and  held  sweet 
converse  with  the  attentive  gentlemen.  Others  were  escorted 
around  or  through  the  walks  of  the  park  to  the  Dominica. 
The  seats,  paths  and  restaurants  were  full  of. well  dressed, 
happy  people,  eating,  drinking,  smoking  and  gossiping,  while 
the  military  band  in  the  middle  of  the  Plaza  played  exquisite 
music  for  two  hours.  Here  and  there  could  be  seen  naval 
officers  of  Denmark,  Germany,  France,  England  and  the 
United  States;  soldiers  of  the  garrison,  of  diiferent  grades  and 
uniforms ;  sailors  from  the  merchant  ships  and  blockade-run- 
ners, and  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  the  city,  often  accompanied 
bv  negro  servants. 

The  soft  evening  breeze,  the  murmuring  trees,  the  hum  of 
conversation,  the  rippling  laughter  and  the  strains  of  music, 
were  pleasant  to  the  storm-tossed  mariners,  and  they  lingered 
about  the  place  until  the  band  departed,  and  then  went  into 
the  Dominica.  They  took  seats  at  one  of  the  tables  by  an 
open  casement  overlooking  the  park  and  ordered  ices  and 
wines.  While  resting  and  discussing  the  events  of  the  even- 
ing with  several  resident  Americans,  half  a  dozen  roughly 
dressed  blockade-runners  took  seats  at  a  table  upon  the  other 
side  of  the  room  and  began  to  talk  in  a  boisterous  tone  of  the 
American  war.  Their  remarks  became  pointed  and  offensive 
to  the  Union  men  present,  and  their  nods  and  scowling  glances 
towards  them  indicated  plainly  their  desire  to  precipitate  an 
encounter.  As  it  grew  later,  the  wit  went  out  as  the  wine 
went  down,  and  the  whole  party  broke  out  into  song  and  sang 
"The  Bonnie  Blue  Flag"  with  a  great  deal  of  enthusiasm, 
clinking  their  glasses  and  pounding  on  the  table  in  unison. 
Then  three  cheers  were  given  for  Jeff.  Davis  and  the  Southern 
Confederacy,  and  loud  talk  and  boisterous  oaths  attracted  the 
attention  of  every  one  around  the  Dominica,  but  no  attempt 
was  made  by  the  proprietor  or  servants  to  restrain  the  ribald 
folly. 

The  officers  of  the  Nautilus  were  quiet  and  apparently  un- 
concerned, but  they  felt  exceedingly  comfortable  that  they  had 
their  side-arms.  The  leader  of  the  crowd,  a  ferocious  looking 
Southerner,  rose  from  his  chair,  walked  rapidly  over  to  the 
table  of  the  Union  officers  and  spat  at  Ashtou,  who  quick  as 


A    NAVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  89 

thought  clashed  a  glass  of  claret  in  his  face  and,  before  t!ie 
ruffian  had  recovered,  drew  his  sword  and  gave  him  a  blow 
over  the  head  with  the  back  of  it  that  caused  him  to  stao-orer 
and  retreat. 

The  groups  at  both  tables  sprang  to  their  feet,  and  the 
rebels  advanced  a  few  steps,  but  when  they  saw  a  determined 
front  and  the  muzzles  of  several  revolvers,  they  halted,  and 
several  police  appearing  u])on  the  scene,  they  left  the  restaurant, 
sending  back  all  kinds  of  vile  epithets  and  horrible  curses. 
The  Union  officers  left  soon  after,  proceeded  cautiously  through 
the  streets  to  the  boats,  and  arrived  on  board  ship  in  safety. 

Every  boat's  crew  went  ashore  armed  after  this  adventure, 
and  the  men  were  particularly  careful  to  keep  in  groups  and 
not  to  get  intoxicated.  There  was  a  native  of  Mississippi  in 
the  crew,  an  ardent  Union  man,  and  in  some  way  the  blof^k- 
ade-runners  learned  his  history  and  watched  for  him.  One 
night,  in  company  with  two  shipmates,  he  went  into  one  of 
those  small,  suspicious-looking  drinking-houses  near  the  dock, 
and  soon  after  four  blockade-runners  came  in  behind  them. 
The  men  fraternized,  had  several  drinks  together,  and  then 
got  into  a  discussion  upon  the  war.  They  exchanged  experi- 
ences and  grew  quite  confidential,  then  became  excited  and 
angry,  and,  finally,  the  identity  of  the  man  from  "  Natchez 
under  the  hill "  was  betrayed.  The  Southerners  had  sworn 
they  would  capture  him  and  send  him  back  to  the  South  in  a 
blockade-runner,  and  the  opportunity  was  theirs. 

Two  of  them  seized  him  and  the  others  each  attacked  his 
man.  The  fight  was  a  fierce  one.  The  keeper  of  the  place 
ran  out  for  the  police.  The  Natchez  man  kept  his  assailants 
busy,  and  the  Yankee  sailors  were  fast  conquering  their  adver- 
saries, when  several  police  appeared  upon  the  scene  and 
marched  the  whole  party  off  to  the  calaboose.  The  man-of- 
war's  men  had  left  their  arms  in  the  boat,  and  the  Southerners 
did  not  attempt  to  use  any  they  may  have  had.  They  were  all 
liberated  the  next  day  through  the  intervention  of  their  officers, 
after  the  payment  of  light  fines,  and  the  Natchez  man  never 
ventured  on  shore  again  in  Havana. 

The  streets  of  Havana  are  narrow  and  paved  with  square 
blocks  of  stone.  The  houses  are  built  of  white  stone  and 
plaster;  have  small  rooms  and  small  barred  windows,  and  the 


CO  CRUISING    AXD   BLOCKADING. 

main  entrance  is  a  carriage  way  leading  to  an  inner  court-yard 
and  garden.  The  stores  are  much  like  tlie  houses  and  have  an 
inner  court  where  the  employes  lounge  and  smoke  cigarettes 
when  there  ai'e  no  customers  about.  Meals  are  generally 
served  in  the  court  or  garden  behind,  and  the  siesta  is  spent 
there  in  bamboo  chairs  and  hammocks. 

Many  of  the  public  buildings  are  of  white  marble,  and  the 
churches  are  rich  in  stained  glass  and  interior  decorations. 
The  low  buildings,  tiled  roofs,  narrow  streets  and  peculiar 
architecture,  are  essentially  European  in  character,  and  the 
city  is  in  as  marked  contrast  to  one  in  the  United  States  as 
any  in  continental  Europe. 

The  people  do  business  in  the  cool  of  the  morning  and 
evening,  and  abandon  all  exertion  for  several  hours  in  the 
middle  of  the  day.  Even  the  slaves  are  permitted  to  be  lazy 
then,  partly  because  their  masters  are  too  indolent  to  look  after 
them.  Coffee  and  bread  is  served  early ;  fruit,  fish,  yams, 
meat  and  wine  compose  the  breakflist,  at  9  or  10  o'clock,  and 
a  hearty  dinner  of  many  courses  is  enjoyed  at  any  time  from 
4  to  7  P.M.  Then  a  ride ;  a  visit  to  the  theatre,  opera,  plaza 
or  ball,  and  social  calls  and  gossiping,  consume  the  time  till 
midnight  and  bedtime. 

Colored  and  white  women  of  the  lower  classes  may  be  seen 
in  the  streets  at  all  hours,  but  ladies  seldom  go  out  till  even- 
ing, and  never  without  a  duenna  or  some  member  of  the 
family.  A  man  must  do  his  courting  in  the  presence  of  a 
third  person,  or  through  the  grated  windows,  or  surreptitiously, 
during  the  evening  ride  and  rest  at  the  plaza. 

One  evening  at  seven,  a  handsome  man,  wearing  a  broad 
sombrero,  light  cloak  and  sword,  stood  under  a  window  and 
clasped  a  lady's  hand  pushed  through  the  bars.  He  looked 
languishing,  mysterious,  cavalier-like,  and  the  lady,  dressed  in 
white,  seemed  a  vision  of  loveliness  in  the  dim  shadow  of  the 
casement.  Three  hours  later  the  lady  and  gentleman  occupied 
the  same  respective  places.  The  former  had  the  same  beau- 
tiful arm  protruding,  the  latter  was  standing  on  the  same  leg. 
He  was  left  there  in  the  shadows  and  may  be  standing  there 
yet.  It  would  have  been  too  fatiguing  to  have  watched  and 
vmited  for  the  denouement. 

The  slaves  dress  in  coffee  bags ;  the  coolies  and  poor  whites, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  91 

in  whatever  they  can  get;  and  the  well-to-do  men,  in  Panama 
hats  and  white  or  gray  suits.  The  latter  carry  white  um- 
brellas. An  umbrella  in  Cuba  is  a  sign  of  ])ecuniary  plethora. 
All  men  and  some  women  carry  a  cigarette  or  cigar  in  the 
mouth.  They  are  offered  freely  to  acquaintances.  No  one  is 
ever  expected  to  accept.  Politeness  thus  costs  very  little.  A 
colored  mother  smokes  a  long  cheroot,  her  three  year  old  child, 
a  six  for  a  cent.  The  white  women  wear  an  immense  comb 
in  the  back  hair;  the  colored  ones  replace  it  with  a  toothpick. 
A  negress  with  a  cheroot  and  a  toothpick  is  inspiring  to  look 
upon. 

The  right  hand  side  of  the  entrance  to  Havana  is  a  low, 
sandy  beach,  stretching  away  to  the  westward  and  rising  a 
little  southward  to  elevate  the  city  above  the  tides.  The 
broken  timbers  of  many  a  luckless  vessel  protrude  along  the 
shore  beyond  the  light-house,  as  the  skeletons  of  animals  and 
men  lie  half  buried  in  the  desert. 

The  left  side  of  the  entrance  is  a  solid  wall  of  shelving 
and  perpendicular  rock,  rising  several  hundred  feet,  and  cov- 
ered by  gardens  and  lawns,  a  light-house  and  the  massive 
towers  and  bastions  of  Moro  Castle.  Against  the  shelving 
rock  a  frigate  was  dashed  to  splinters  and  not  a  soul  was 
saved.  A  cave  runs  inwards  from  the  water's  edge,  makes  a 
sharp  turn  upwards  and  opens  out  upon  the  hill — a  spouting 
horn  it  is  called.  In  heavy  storms,  the  sea  dashes  inwards 
and  upwards  upon  the  greensward  with  a  melancholy  roar. 

Moro  Castle  is  a  vast  fortification,  heavily  armed  and  gar- 
risoned, and  overlooking  the  city  by  the  sea.  It  could  only 
be  taken  from  the  land  side — its  water  approaches  are  so  steep 
and  difficult.  It  frowns  over  the  narrow  entrance  to  the  har- 
bor, as  many  a  robber's  castle  does  above  the  lovely  Rhine, 
and  demands  a  tribute  of  respect  from  every  passing  vessel. 
An  iron-clad  would  not  be  impregnable  there,  because  shot 
and  shell  could  be  pitched  by  hand  down  upon  her  thinly 
armored  deck. 

An  American  man-of-war  was  detained  in  the  channel 
awhile,  when  trying  to  go  to  sea  in  chase  of  a  blockade-runner 
that  had  recently  sailed.  She  got  away  too  late  to  catch  the 
fleeing  craft,  and  hei-  captain  and  officers  were  angry.  After 
dark  all  lights  were  extinguished,  and  the  man-of-war  was 


92  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

turned  about  and  run  l)ack  until  Moro  was  barely  visible 
through  the  mist.  Then  the  11-inch  pivot  was  loaded  with 
solid  shot,  the  gun  given  extreme  elevation,  and  the  pointed 
mass  of  iron  fired  directly  at  the  offending  fortification.  There 
was  a  flashing  of  lights,  a  roll  of  drums,  and  a  manning  of 
the  batteries,  but  the  ship's  helm  was  put  to  starboard  and  she 
was  soon  far  away  to  the  eastward.  The  shot  went  entirely 
over  Moro  and  ploughed  up  the  hill  beyond,  narrowly  miss- 
ing a  human  habitation.  The  garrison  and  the  authorities 
were  very  much  surprised  and  exercised  over  the  occurrence, 
but  no  plausible  explanation  was  reached.  Some  thought  a 
gun  had  gone  oflF  accidentally ;  others,  that  a  shot  had  been 
fired  at  a  vessel  and  gone  astray. 

The  fruit  of  Cuba  is  delicious;  the  oranges  are  finer  than 
the  apples  of  Hesperides  ;  the  plums  are  delicate  and  luscious; 
the  bananas  melt  in  the  mouth  like  rich  custard,  and  the  cocoa- 
nuts  furnish  a  refreshing  drink  and  snowy  food.  A  couple  of 
oranges,  a  banana,  a  piece  of  bread  and  a  cup  of  coflFee,  make 
an  excellent  breakfast.  It  is  not  considered  safe  to  partake  of 
fruit  and  distilled  liquor  together.  They  do  not  agree  in  the 
fervid  climate.  A  banana  and  a  glass  of  brandy  have  sent 
many  a  sailor  to  Davy  Jones'  locker,  i.  e.,  to  the  place  where 
dead  sailors  are  supposed  to  go. 

The  leather-skinned,  moustached  cavaliers  of  Cuba  have 
exquisite  manners,  and  are  hospitable  and  generous.  They 
are  fearless  and  graceful  riders,  and  would  form  a  grand  cru- 
sading ])arty  to  rescue  Jerusalem  from  the  Mohammedans. 
The  young  ladies  are  beautiful  and  generally  dress  with  excel- 
lent taste,  but  the  middle  aged  and  old  present  few  traces  of 
early  good  looks. 

The  people  of  Cuba  are  religious  in  externals,  at  least,  and 
the  churches  are  full  upon  the  Sabbath  day.  It  causes  some 
astonishment  and  awakens  thought  in  an  American  Protestant 
to  find  that  the  Roman  Catholic  church  is  there  the  church, 
where  all  the  fashion  and  wealth  attend,  and  that  the  numer- 
ous sects  with  which  he  is  familiar  at  home  are  not  represented. 

A  dozen  negresses  came  on  board  the  Nautilus  one  day. 
Their  hair  was  curled  so  tightly  upon  the  head,  it  seemed,  if 
one  could  only  cut  a  kink  and  get  hold  of  an  end,  he  might 
unravel  the  whole  coiffure  like  a  yarn  stocking.     Some  of  them 


A    KAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    AVAR.  93 

had  teeth  filed  to  a  point,  probably  to  eat  human  beings  in 
their  former  home.  All  were  as  black  as  polished  el)ony,  and 
had  noses  flat  enough  and  lips  thick  enough  to  delight  an 
ethnologist.  They  wanted  the  officers'  washing,  and  they  re- 
ceived a  pile  of  dirty  clothes  almost  as  high  as  the  turret  of  a 
monitor.     It  was  a  month's  accumulation. 

Two  important  duties  must  be  performed  in  port,  to  coal 
ship  and  get  the  washing  done.  Enlisted  men  wash  their 
clothes  themselves,  either  in  a  bucket,  or  towing  at  the  end  of 
a  line  overboard  out  to  sea.  Officers  are  obliged  to  depend 
upon  the  washwomen  of  the  seaports  for  the  purity  of  their 
linen.  Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  yachtmen  and  others  who 
rough  it  in  colored  shirts  along  the  coast  in  summer,  naval 
officers  invariably  wear  starched  white  shirts  all  the  time.  It 
is  considered  infra  dignitate  to  do  otherwise. 

The  coal  was  all  aboard  ;  the  deficiency  in  stores  was  made 
good ;  the  washing  was  returned ;  the  officers  and  men  had 
seen  Havana;  half  the  population  of  the  city  had  seen  the 
Nautilus,  and  ship  and  officers  were  ready  for  sea.  Not  a 
case  of  yellow  fever  had  occurred  on  the  Nautilus,  though 
there  had  been  some  deaths  ashore  and  many  on  board  the 
merchant  vessels.  There  was  no  fear,  only  an  anxious  watch- 
fLdness  of  every  morbid  feeling  by  everybody.  No  one  knew 
when  the  dread  scourge  might  inake  an  attack.  It  was  like 
being  in  front  of  a  threatening  enemy  without  power  of 
advance  or  retreat,  and  no  one  liked  it.  Everybody  was 
happy,  therefore,  when  Mr.  Felton  gave  out  the  news  that  the 
ship  would  go  to  sea  in  the  afternoon.  It  was  apparent  soon 
after  dinner  that  one  of  the  six  blockade-runners  was  getting 
ready  for  sea.  It  had  been  learned  on  shore  that  she  was 
bound  for  Mobile.  Capt.  Prescott  was  informed  that  the 
Nautilus  would  not  be  permitted  to  pass  Moro  in  chase  until 
an  hour  after  she  had  sailed.  Thus  safe  escape  was  in  a  mea- 
sure guaranteed  by  the  Cuban  authorities,  because  it  was 
hardly  possible  for  the  American  man-of-war  to  steam  as  fast 
as  the  fleet  Clyde-built  steamer,  and,  besides,  a  stern  chase  is 
a  long  one,  and  darkness  would  soon  hide  her  from  view. 

All  of  the  blockade-runners  carrying  valuable  cargoes  were 
of  this  class  of  steamers.  They  were  long,  low,  narrow,  iron 
vessels,  painted  lead  color  or  black,  and  had  sharp  bows,  short 


9t  CRUISING   AKD   BLOCKADING. 

spars,  large  screws  and  powerful  engines.  They  were  captured 
occasionally  by  running  them  ashore,  catching  them  in  a  cor- 
ner or  narrow  channel,  or  getting  them  within  gunshot  range 
by  their  own  miscalculations;  but  they  were  seldom  caught 
by  a  stern  chase,  when  they  had  a  few  miles  the  start,  because 
they  could  outrun  nearly  all  of  the  seagoing  vessels  of  the 
United  States  Navy.  After  a  few  of  them  had  been  captured 
and  turned  into  Yankee  gunboats,  luck  changed,  and  blockade 
running  became  so  perilous  and  unproiitable  that  few  men 
would  longer  engage  in  it. 

The  blockade-runners  were  all  covered  with  bunting  this 
afternoon,  and  some  of  the  vessels  had  three  and  even  four 
Confederate  flags  flying,  partly  to  cheer  the  departing  vessels, 
partly  to  signify  their  contemj)t  for  American  men-of-war. 
The  Victoria  hove  up  her  anchor  to  the  songs  of  "Dixie," 
and  "The  Bonnie  Blue  Flag,"  in  which  her  crew  was  joined 
by  the  whole  rebel  fleet,  and  steamed  out  of  the  harbor,  while 
her  men  cheered  and  received  cheers  from  the  crews  of  sympa- 
thizing vessels  around.  She  had  chosen  her  time  for  sailing 
well.  It  was  only  about  an  hour  to  sunset,  and  no  vessel  was 
allowed  to  go  to  sea  after  sunset. 


A   XAVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE    WAR,  95 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Nautilus  liad  been  quietly  preparing  to  sail ;  the  fires 
had  been  started,  the  boats  hoisted  up,  the  anchor  hove  short, 
and  everything  made  ready.  Finally,  the  order  was  received 
with  a  glad  shout  from  the  men,  "  All  hands  up  anchor  !"  and, 
in  a  few  moments,  the  anchor  was  up  and  catted,  and  the  ship 
was  moving  slowly  through  the  shipping  towards  the  open 
sea.  Great  crowds  had  gathered  all  along  the  shore  to  see  her 
go  out,  and  they  sent  up  shout  after  shout  of  approbation  and 
admiration,  as  the  noble  craft  spurned  the  waters  with  her 
screw  and  moved  like  a  living  thing  along.  A  lieutenant 
came  on  board  in  a  customs  boat,  in  the  channel  near  Moro, 
and  forbade  the  captain's  going  to  sea  until  an  hour  had  elapsed 
since  the  Victoria  had  passed.  Capt.  Prescott  and  the  officers 
compared  watches,  talked,  argued,  drank  a  bottle  of  cham- 
jiagne  and  smoked,  but  it  was  no  use;  the  order  was  peremp- 
tory, and  must  be  obeyed. 

Everybody  felt  like  pitching  the  lieutenant  overboard,  defy- 
ing Moro  and  the  whole  Spanish  fleet,  and  going  after  the 
steamer  that  was  flying  away  to  the  northwest.  Somebody 
knew,  however,  that  ]iort  regulations  must  be  respected  and 
International  laws  observed.  It  was  not  any  fear  of  Moro's 
batteries  or  the  Spanish  frigates  inside,  that  deterred  Capt. 
Prescott  from  proceeding.  It  was  the  knowledge  that  he 
must  answer  to  his  own  government  for  disobedience  of  plain 
instructions. 

The  Nautilus  was  kept  backing  and  going  aliead  in  the 
chfinnel  for  half  an  hour,  waiting  for  minutes  to  pass  which 
seemed  days,  and  blowing  oif  steam  like  the  roaring  of  an 
enraged  tiger  robbed  of  its  prey,  while  the  officers  and  crew 
were  fretting,  cursing  and  walking  the  decks,  and  wishing  the 
Island  of  Cuba  would  sink,  and  the  magazine  in  Moro  might 
blow  the  whole  garrison  to  kingdom  come. 

Permission  was  finally  given  to  go  ahead,  the  officer  de- 
parted, the  ship  sprang  onwards  under  a  full  head  of  steam 


9G  c^vUISJ^■G  axd  blockading. 

-311(1  passed  out  to  sea  jiist  as  the  setting  siui  tini^ecl  the  walls  of 
Moro  with  rose  color  and  the  sunset  gun  was  fired. 

Then  a  small  schooner,  flying  the  stars  and  bars,  and  loaded 
clear  up  to  the  booms  with  bales  of  cotton,  was  seen  creeping 
along  close  to  the  shore  to  the  left  hand,  and  then  going  straight 
into  Havana  in  spite  of  Moro.  She  may  have  been  boarded, 
but  she  did  not  stop  for  it.  The  regulation  of  the  port  was, 
that  no  vessel  should  pass  either  into  or  out  of  the  harbor  of 
Havana  after  the  sunset  gun  had  been  fired.  The  Nautilus 
escaped  outwards  by  a  few  minutes  only  ;  the  blockade-runner 
entered  some  ten  minutes  afterwards.  There  was  evidently 
one  law  for  vessels  on  Government  service,  and  another  for 
blockade-runners. 

Freebooters  always  were  favored  in  the  West  Indies.  The 
islands  are  full  of  lurking  places  and  easily  defensible  pas- 
sages, and  the  inhabitants  recruited  pirate  crews  and  protected 
them  not  many  years  ago.  There  is  a  feeling  of  sympathy 
with  pirates  still  existing  there,  and  plenty  of  men  can  be 
found,  who,  scorning  labor  upon  a  merchant  vessel  or  a  man- 
of-war,  woukl  jump  at  a  chance  to  rob  honest  people  on  the 
high  seas. 

It  is  contrary  to  International  law  for  one  vessel  to  capture 
another  within  a  marine  league  of  the  shore.  The  schooner 
was  inside  of  the  arbitrary  line,  and  the  men  of  the  Nautilus 
could  only  grind  their  teeth  and  curse  their  luck. 

The  wind  was  easterly  outside;  the  sea  was  rising;  the 
stars  were  hanging  low  and  bright;  the  gulls  were  shrieking, 
like  a  lot  of  hoydenish  gii'ls  just  out  of  school,  and  storm 
clouds  were  gathering  in  the  orient.  All  sail  was  made  on  the 
Nautilus;  the  engine  was  driven  at  its  greatest  speed,  and  the 
course  was  shaped  to  the  westward  in  order  to  intercept  the 
Victoria  near  Tortugas.  All  lights  that  could  be  seen  outside 
the  ship  were  extinguished;  the  bow-chaser  Par rott  gun  was 
freshly  loaded  witii  shell,  and  double  lookouts  were  stationed 
in  all  parts  of  the  ship.  The  log  was  thrown  just  before  eight- 
bells  of  the  second  dog  watch,  and  the  quartermaster  reported 
the  ship  was  going  fourteen  knots.  This  speed  was  increased 
another  knot  during  the  next  watch,  and  all  night  long  the 
vessel  flew  before  the  wind  and  sea  and  rapidly  revolving 
screw.     Several  sailing  vessels  were  passed  without  questioning 


A    NAVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  97 

them,  appearing  and  vanishing  like  bats  in  a  dismal  cave,  and 
tlie  "Sail  ho!"  of  the  lookouts  was  barely  answered  from  the 
quarter-deck  before  the  vessels  were  tt)0  far  away  to  give  a 
definite  report  of  their  direction. 

At  daybreak  the  course  was  altered  more  to  the  northward, 
and,  about  two-bells  in  the  morning  watch,  another  cry  of 
"Sail  ho!  a  steamer  on  the  starboard  bow,  sir!"  attracted 
universal  attention.  When  the  sun  had  scattered  the  mists  of 
morning  and  good  glasses  were  used,  the  sail  was  made  out  to 
be  a  low,  black  steamer,  showing  black  smoke,  and  heading 
about  northwest.  All*  sea-going  United  States  steamers  used 
anthracite  coal,  giving  off  grayish  smoke  in  moderate  quanti- 
ties. When  dense  black  smoke  trailed  along  the  sky  from  a 
steamer,  she  was  aln)ost  certain  to  be  English  or  a  blockade- 
runner.  These  vessels  were  supplied  with  bituminous  coal, 
which  burned  like  grease  and  smoked  like  a  Pittsburgh  fur- 
nace. The  course  the  stranger  was  steering  made  it  reasonably 
certain  that  she  was  not  an  English  vessel — they  had  nothing 
to  do  in  those  waters  at  that  time.  She  was  probably  a  block- 
ade-runner and,  perhaps,  the  good  ship  Victoria.  Another 
fact  was  apparent — the  Nautilus  was  outsailing  her,  and  she 
was  becoming  larger  and  more  distinct  every  hour.  Such  was 
the  gossip  all  around  the  decks,  and  the  men  could  hardly  go 
on  with  the  work  of  the  ship  from  their  desire  to  watch  the 
chase.  Even  the  cooks  slipped  up  the  step-ladders  and  neg- 
lected their  boiling  co{)pers  to  pass  judgment  upon  the  situ- 
ation. 

Captain  Prescott  determined  to  keep  the  wind  behind  him 
this  time,  and  not  lose  its  influence  by  having  to  brace  sharp 
up,  as  in  chasing  the  Florida,  so  the  course  was  altered  directly 
for  the  strange  steamer,  and  a  sharp  lookout  kept  upon  her  by 
the  quartermaster  and  the  officer-of-the-deck.  The  steamer 
was  distant  about  three  miles  at  noon  ;  the  crew  of  the  fore- 
castle gun  was  called  to  quarters,  the  shi|i  kept  off  a  point, 
and  a  blank  cartridge  fired  towards  her.  She  hoisted  the  Eng- 
lish flag  in  answer  to  this  compliment,  but  did  not  slacken 
speed  ;  she  appeared  rather  to  increase  it  by  piling  the  coal  under 
her  boilers,  as  indicated  by  the  greater  volume  of  smoke  that 
poured  out  of  her  smoke-stack.  A  shell  was  then  sent  after 
lier,  but  it  fell  short,  and  she  sped  onwards  over  the  quieter 


yS  CEUISIXG   AND   BLOCKADING. 

waters  of  the  Gulf,  with  square  sails  hardly  drawing  and  the 
hull  almost  hidden  by  the  clouds  of  smoke.  Another  shell 
burst  under  her  stern,  but  still  she  flew.  The  next  shell  pro- 
duced a  commotion  on  board  both  vessels.  It  caused  the 
Victoria,  for  she  could  now  be  plainly  made  out,  to  swing 
around  a  little  and  the  smoke  to  clear  away,  revealing  a  hole 
through  her  smoke-stack.  The  movement  was  only  momentary, 
and  she  kept  her  course  bravely,  exciting  the  admiration  of 
every  one  on  board  the  Nautilus.  The  gun  was  now  loaded 
with  solid  shot,  that  lives  might  not  be  sacrificed,  and  with  the 
hope  that  the  vessel  might  be  crippled  and  saved  from  fire. 
Shot  flew  to  the  right  and  left  several  times,  but,  at  last,  one 
entered  her  stern,  there  was  a  great  cloud  of  escaping  steam, 
the  vessel  slowed  perceptibly,  the  sails  were  clewed  up,  and  the 
British  flag  was  hauled  down. 

The  Nautilus  was  soon  within  hail,  the  men  manned  the 
broadside  guns  for  fear  of  treachery,  and  Mr.  Felton  shouted, 
"  Ship  ahoy  !    What  ship  is  that?" 

"  The  British  steamer  Victoria  !"  was  the  answer. 
"  Where  are  you  from,  and  where  bound  ?" 
"  From  Havana,  bound  to  Vera  Cruz  !" 
"  Very  well !  Lay  by  and  I  will  send  a  boat  aboard  !" 
The  second  cutter  was-  piped  away  by  the  boatswain's  mate, 
the  boat  was  lowered,  the  crew  armed,  and  Master  Sanborn 
went  on  board.  He  returned  soon  with  a  set  of  informal 
ship's  papers,  a  British  and  several  Confederate  flags,  the  cap- 
tain, mates  and  chief-engineer  of  the  vessel,  and  the  informa- 
tion that  the  cargo  consisted  of  arms,  ammunition,  provisions 
and  clothing.  The  vessel  was  therefore  seized  as  a  lawful 
prize  of  the  United  States;  part  of  her  crew,  including  six 
wounded  men,  were  transferred  to  the  Nautilus,  and  part  left 
on  board  ;  Mr.  Sanborn,  with  an  engineer  and  a  picked  crew, 
was  sent  aboard  to  take  command,  and  a  careful  examination 
was  made  of  the  hull  and  machinery.  The  shell  that  pierced 
the  smoke  stack  had  knocked  down  the  men  at  the  wheel  and 
exploded  in  the  bow  of  the  vessel.  The  shot  that  struck  the 
stern  had  gone  through  the  cabin,  traversed  the  hull  beneath 
the  deck,  cut  a  steam  pipe,  twisted  and  broken  the  engine  in 
such  a  way  as  to  stop  it  instantly,  and  lodged  in  the  cargo. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  99 

Had  it  been  a  shell,  it  would  undoubtedly  have  set  the  ship 
on  fire. 

It  was  learned  later,  that  the  men  had  been  kept  at  their 
posts  bv  the  officers  with  loaded  revolvers,  and  their  zeal  and 
courage  were  accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  they  owned  con- 
siderable of  the  cargo.  They  made  a  brave  attempt  to  save 
their  property,  in  great  contrast  to  the  conduct  of  officers  of 
some  prize  vessels,  who  gave  up  at  the  first  fire.  These  men 
were  mostly  citizens  of  the  South,  and  they  were  respected  for 
their  brave  conduct.  The  wardroom  officers  were  delighted 
to  find  them  the  same  persons  who  had  acted  so  shamefully  in 
the  Dominica  at  Havana,  and  Ashton  and  the  rebel  captain  ex- 
changed scowls  on  more  than  one  occasion.  Revenge  is  sweet, 
especially  in  war  times. 

It  was  notorious  during  the  war  that  Southerners  always 
did  their  best  to  save  their  vessels,  and  incurred  great  personal 
peril  running  the  blockade,  while  foreigners  were  scared  at  the 
first  crack  of  a  Yankee  gun,  and  surrendered  valuable  ships 
and  cargoes  pusilhiniraously. 

The  Victoria's  machinery  was  too  badly  damaged  to  be  re- 
paired at  sea,  and  a  hawser  was  taken  to  her  bow  from  the 
stern  of  the  Nautilus  and  she  was  towed  into  Key  West. 

Considerable  excitement  was  created  by  the  procession  of 
these  two  vessels  through  the  coral  reefs  into  the  snug  little 
roadstead  at  the  Key,  and  the  shore  and  wharves  were  covered 
with  cheering  spectators,  as  they  jiasscd  by  Fort  Taylor  a^id 
dropped  anchor  near  the  naval  headquarters.  The  captain 
had  his  gig  called  away  ;  made  an  official  visit  to  the  Admiral 
of  the  Squadron,  and  formally  transferred  the  Victoria  to  the 
Prize  Court  and  the  prisoners  to  the  Colonel  in  command  of 
Fort  Taylor. 

There  is  no  more  remarkable  or  sudden  transition  in  geo- 
graphical characteristics  in  the  world,  than  from  those  of  the 
West  Indies  to  those  of  the  Florida  group  of  islands.  The 
West  India  islands  are  fertile,  wooded,  rugged  and  mountain- 
ous. They  are  founded  upon  the  azoic  rock,  that  has  been 
raised  by  volcanic  fury  from  the  deep  sea  depths.  Their  shores 
are  precipitous;  their  channels  deep,  and  their  bordering  reefs 
few.  They  spring  up  suddenly,  like  pyramids  from  the  desert 
plain,  and  follow  tlie  trend  of  the  northwest  system. 


100  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING, 

The  Florida  group,  on  the  contrary,  is  composed  of  infertile 
sand  banks,  sparsely  wooded,  flat  and  low  lying.  They  rest 
upon  the  ruined  houses  of  coral  polyps,  that  have  died  after 
raising  them  to  the  level  of  the  tide.  Their  shores  are  low 
and  shelving;  their  channels  are  shallow  gaps  in  the  reefs,  and 
tiieir  fringing  and  harrier  reefs  are  numerous.  They  rise  slowly 
above  the  surface,  mere  oases  in  the  waste  of  waters,  and  follow 
the  trend  of  the  northeast  system. 

From  the  southern  end  of  the  peninsula  of  Florida  to  the 
Tortugas,  a  distance  of  120  miles,  a  long,  curving  coral  reef 
extends.  Narrow,  shallow  channels  occur  occasionally,  and 
there  is  a  wide,  deep  passage  between  Key  West  and  the  Tor- 
tugas. All  along  the  reef  small  coral  islands  are  scattered, 
only  a  little  above  the  sea  level.  They  are  sparsely  covered 
bv  tufts  of  grass  and  herbs,  hardy  slirubs,  and  palmetto  and 
mangrove  trees.  The  mangrove  is  King  of  the  Key.  It 
drops  down  limbs  from  its  branches,  which  take  root  and  de- 
velop into  trunks  nearly  as  large  as  the  parent  stem ;  these 
secondary  trees  increase  and  multiply  in  the  same  way,  until 
the  family  of  one  individual  covers  a  great  space,  and  makes 
a  living  lattice-work  through  which  nothing  much  larger  than 
a  coon  can  ])ass. 

The  coral  islands  have  no  springs  or  streams  of  fresh  water. 
Surface  pools  and  artificial  wells  contain  brackish  water,  and 
rain  water  is  collected  in  casks  and  cisterns  by  the  inhabitants. 
The  shores  of  the  keys  and  the  sea  bottom  for  miles  around 
are  covered  by  the  snowy  sand  of  comminuted  corals,  and, 
from  the  shore  outwards  to  a  depth  of  100  fet^t,  many  varie- 
ties of  coral  polyps,  with  varying  forms  and  exquisite  colors, 
grow  from  their  limestone  beds. 

Tiie  water  is  of  a  temperature  above  66°  F. ;  it  is  clear 
and  shallow,  and  permits  a  good  view  of  the  shining  bottom, 
where  the  living  corals  grow  in  separate  groups  or  thickly  set 
like  a  garden  bed.  The  corallum,  or  solid  limestone  body, 
with  the  polyps  imbedded  in  its  surface,  presents  different 
forms  similar  to  terrestrial  vegetation,  strongly  reminding  one 
of  the  varieties  of  cactus,  though  algte  and  shrubs  have  their 
representatives.  The  polyps  extend  and  expand  their  delicate 
pink  and  purple  tentacles,  like  the  petals  of  a  flower,  all  over 
the  corallum,  covering:  it  with  bloom. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  101 

Shells  of  every  shape,  size  and  color  lie  around  in  profusion. 
Sponges  grow  here  and  there  between  the  corals,  making  dark 
thickets  for  the  shuffling  crabs.  Fish  of  curious  forms  and 
brilliant  colors  float  quietly  or  dart  quickly  over  the  sul)aque- 
ous  garden.  Lazy  turtles,  green  and  brown,  paddle  around, 
safe  in  their  imbricated  armor,  and  sharks  sneak  warily  like  a 
detective  from  coral  caves  to  shallow  banks  in  search  of  prey. 
It  is  a  beautiful  and  interesting  sight  to  look  down  upon  this 
panorama  of  nature,  and  to  mark  the  variety  of  animated 
forms  in  the  actual  enjoyment  of  living.  It  excites  wonder  in 
the  mind  of  the  spectator;  impresses  the  thoughtful  with  a 
fuller  sense  of  the  mystery  of  the  universe,  and  awakens 
greater  veneration  for  the  Almighty. 

The  coral  islands  rise  so  little  above  the  sea,  that  they  are 
never  seen  as  land  until  they  are  close  aboard,  and,  were  it  not 
for  their  vegetation,  they  would  even  be  found  with  difficulty. 
A  heavy  roller  might  jwss  entirely  across  some  of  them,  if  it 
were  not  hindered  by  the  trees  and  the  fringing  and  barrier 
reefs.  The  fringing  reef  forms  the  shore  line  and  flings  back 
the  lazy  seas,  which  have  been  shattered  and  broken  into  glit- 
tering foam  upon  the  outer  barrier  reef.  Between  the  two 
reefs,  there  is  usually  a  sound  of  comparatively  smooth  water, 
where  vessels  find  safe  anchorage,  but  it  is  necessary  to  know 
where  to  find  the  gap  in  the  barrier  reef  and  to  know  the  chan- 
nel well,  or  the  pretty  coral  banks,  jagged,  sharp  and  vengeful 
as  the  teeth  in  a  shark's  mouth,  may  crunch  the  timbers  like 
an  eggshell  and  let  in  the  treacherous  sea.  High  lands  have 
deep  water  near  shore,  and  give  warning  of  their  presence  by 
odorous  breezes,  sudden  squalls,  and  bold  outlines  that  pene- 
trate across  the  darkness  of  a  tropic  night  made  glorious  by 
stars.  These  low  lands,  with  their  outlying  reefs,  are  under 
the  bow  almost  as  soon  as  they  are  seen  by  tlie  lookout,  and 
the  cry  of  "Breakers  ahead!"  is  often  followed  in  coral  seas 
by  the  terrible  crashing  and  crunching  of  timbers  and  coral. 

Coral  polyps  die  as  soon  as  they  are  exposed  to  the  sun ; 
therefore,  the  coral  growths  do  not  reach  above  the  low  tide 
level.  This  is  favorable  to  small  crafts  at  high  tide  in  still 
water,  but  the  stormy  seas  break  off"  great  masses  of  living 
coral,  hurl  them  hither  and  thither,  grind  some  into  shining 
sands  to  sprinkle  the  shore  and  the  bottom,  and  pile  pieces 


102  CRUISING    AXD   BLOCKADING. 

higher  and  higher  till  the  summer  seas  cannot  cover  them  and 
they  remain  ghostly  stockades  around  the  green  islets.  The 
approaches  to  these  coral  islands  are,  therefore,  often  tortuotis 
and  dangerous,  and  the  danger  is  greatly  increased  by  rapid 
currents,  which  sweep  around  Tortugas,  through  between  it 
and  Key  West,  along  and  between  the  keys  and  reefs  from 
that  key  to  Florida,  and  go  to  join  the  waters  of  the  Gulf 
Stream. 

Coral  islands  present  unique  types  of  civilization.  The 
houses  of  Key  West  are  built  of  wood  or  of  white  limestone 
cut  out  of  the  consolidated  coral  sand;  the  streets  are  white 
sand,  darkened  by  the  debris  of  adventitious  seas  and  the 
remains  of  vegetation  ;  the  soil  is  a  grayish  sandy  loam,  and 
the  trees  above  the  influence  of  percolating  sea  water,  and 
removed  from  surface  accumulations,  are  dry  and  sickly,  like 
aged  mendicants  struggling  to  hold  upon  life  to  protect  the 
feebler  life  below  them.  The  streets,  the  vegetation,  the  ani- 
mals and  the  inhabitants  are  all  dry  most  of  the  time  at  Key 
West,  and  still  dryer  at  the  Dry  Tortugas. 

The  population  of  Key  West  was  somewhat  mixed.  The 
lowest  class  was  considerably  increased  by  white  refugees  and 
runaway  negroes  from  "the  main  land.  The  native  whites 
were  mostly  engaged  in  fishing,  turtling  and  piloting.  A  few 
adventurers  from  the  States  kept  shops,  manufactured  cigars, 
and  exported  coral,  shells,  sponges  and  turtles.  There  was  a 
host  of  resident  officials,  with  their  families,  clerks  and  ser- 
vants, connected  with  the  army,  the  customs  and  the  courts. 
The  streets  presented  a  busy  spectacle  at  night,  and  the  crowds 
were  augmented  by  the  soldiers  and  sailors  out  for  a  frolic, 
and  by  the  officers  of  the  fort  and  fleet. 

The  ladies  of  the  city  kept  open  house  for  the  officers  and 
accredited  civilians,  and  inaugurated  picnics,  sails,  card  parties 
and  balls.  A  Naval  Club  was  established  in  a  pretty  villa 
overlooking  the  harbor,  and  the  officers  at  Headquarters  and 
on  board  the  vessels  were  very  hospitable.  There  was  no  dis- 
lovalty  to  the  United  States  apparent  on  the  Key.  Any  first 
tlioughts  of  rebellion  had  been  stamped  out  early,  and  the  iso- 
lated people  were  only  too  happy  to  have  the  opportunity  to 
increase  their  worldly  stores  by  the  influx  of  strangers  with 
full  pockets. 


A    NAVAI,   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  103 

The  Admiral  of  the  East  Gulf  Squadron  made  an  official 
visit;  was  received  with  the  customary  honors,  and  dined  with 
Captain  Prescott.  Then  for  many  days  tiiere  was  a  stream  of 
naval  officers,  some  of  whom  were  old  acquaintances,  of  armv 
officers  from  the  garrison,  and  citizens,  including  many  ladies, 
to  entertain,  making  it  a  task  for  the  officers  aboard  to  show 
them  about,  to  answer  numerous  questions,  and  to  furnish 
refreshments.  Many  pleasant  acquaintances  were  made,  how- 
ever, among  the  shore  people,  who  were  afterwards  lavish  of 
their  hospitality,  and  returned  the  favors  that  had  been  shown 
them  ten  fold.  The  officers  of  the  Nautilus  were  soon  ac- 
quainted with  all  the  better  families  ashore,  and  received 
numerous  invitations  to  land  and  water  excursions,  and  to  tea, 
card  and  dancing  parties,  of  which  they  availed  themselves 
frequently. 

The  crew  of  the  Nautilus  enjoyed  themselves  swimming, 
fishing  and  boat-racing  in  the  harbor,  and  entered  into  all  the 
enjoyments  of  the  shore  in  the  way  peculiar  to  sailors.  Every 
night  some  boats  were  ashore  till  nearly  midnight,  and  the 
men  came  aboard  laughing  and  singing,  full  of  happiness  and 
rum.  The  officers  remained  long  upon  deck,  smoked  their 
cigars,  and  discussed  the  last  rubber  at  whist,  the  singing  of 
Miss  A.,  or  the  grace  and  beauty  of  Seflora  Z. 

"  How  we  are  suflTering  for  our  country !"  said  Careswell 
one  evening  after  supper,  when  several  officers  had  gathered 
on  deck  for  a  smoke. 

"Terribly!"  answered  Bloss.  "I  have  not  been  in  ray 
bunk  a  night  before  one  o'clock  for  a  week.  Our  vessels 
ought  to  be  quarantined  here,  or  these  festivities  will  be  the 
death  of  brave  men  after  awhile." 

"Are  you  going  to  join  the  club?" 

"  No ;  I  can't  stand  the  racket." 

"  Neither  can  I.  Mackey  wants  me  to  join,  but  I  can't 
stand  stimulants.  I  became  nearly  intoxicated  on  six  demi 
tasses  of  Mocha  at  the  '  Cafe  Francais,'  at  Rio  de  Janeiro,  last 
cruise.  I  did  not  take  the  cafe  royal  with  brandy  and  sugar 
either — merely  coffee  with  a  little  milk  and  sugar  and  some 
gateaux.  The  other  fellows  followed  the  fashion,  and  we  had 
a  queer  time  getting  down  to  the  boat  landing.  I  had  to  pull 
them  up  off  of  door-steps,  push  them  away  from  convenient 


lOi  CRUrSING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

walls,  and  keep  them  moving;.  Five  times  I  took  the  bear- 
ings and  started  out  for  the  boat.  Three  times  we  ran  against 
hills  and  the  streets  ended  abruptly.  Once  we  climbed  a  hill 
and  brought  up  against  a  high  double  gate,  iron-clad  and  firm 
as  the  hills.  Mj'  friends  wanted  to  climb  it,  batter  it  down, 
blow  it  up,  anything  to  remove  this  unjustifiable  impediment 
to  progress  towards  the  ship.  I  looked  inside  through  a  chink 
and  saw  sentinels  marching  to  and  fro,  just  as  my  coffee  topers 
kicked  against  the  gate.  There  was  a  quick  call,  a  rattle  of 
chains  and  bolts  and  a  little  side  gate  opened,  as  we  retreated 
in  good  order  around  the  next  corner  down  the  hill.  This 
livened  up  the  party,  we  filed  by  a  gen  d'arm  with  bold  front 
and  a  military  salute,  started  anew,  and  reached  the  l)oat  at  8 
A.M.,  after  three  hours'  marching. 

"  Talk  of  the  seven  hills  of  Rome,  I  believe  Rio  has  seven- 
teen. If  you  get  off  of  Rua  Dirieta  or  Rua  Imperatriz,  you 
are  lost,  and  every  time  you  think  you  have  found  the  way, 
you'll  run  against  an  unclimbable  hill.  I  looked  at  those  hills 
in  the  day  time  and  found  the  natives  couldn't  climb  them 
except  by  running  a  system  of  parallels,  as  soldiers  do  when 
they  advance  to  take  a  formidal)le  fortification.  I  would 
rather  climb  a  jury-mast.     It  would  be  much  easier." 

"  I  am  glad  you  are  such  a  good  observer,"  said  Bloss. 
Shakespeare  says, 

"  All  places  that  the  eye  of  heaven  visits 
Are  to  a  wise  man  ports  and  happy  havens." 

"  You  need  not  drink  at  the  club  unless  you  want  to  do  so,*' 
said  Ash  ton. 

"That  is  true,"  replied  Bloss;  "  but  you  know  what  a  wet 
blanket  a  fellow  would  be  who  wouldn't.     '  When  you  are 
Rome  you  must  do  as  the  Romans  do.'     The  water  here  is 
abominable  that  a  fellow  would  have  to  drink  in  self  defence: 

"  Well,  take  claret,  and  sip  it  as  parsimoniously  as  a  Ger 
man.  Then  you  can  smoke;  enjoy  the  cards,  papers,  maga^ 
zines  and  books;  have  a  pleasant  time,  and  no  harm  done, 
am  satisfied  the  club  is  doing  a  good  work,  keeping  the  best  ol 
everything,  preventing  our  patronizing  the  rapacious  shop- 
keepers, and  promoting  good  fellowship  among  the  officers  oi 
the  squadron." 


A    NAVAL  STORY   OP   THE   LATE   WAR.  105 

"  Well,  you  ought  to  know." 

"The  club  is  all  right,"  said  the  doctor.  "You'll  always 
find  a  few  imprudent  men  in  every  club." 

"The  club  is  all  wrong!"  spoke  up  Paymaster  Horton, 
who  had  been  leaning  quietly  against  the  rail  and  listening. 
"They  ought  not  to  have  liquors  in  the  place  at  all.  They 
are  destructive  to  health  and  morals,  and  are  at  the  bottom  of 
all  mischief.  The  water  here  is  not  pleasant,  but  it  is  not  in- 
jurious. Liquors  are  the  curse  of  the  service;  'Wine  is  a 
mocker,  strong  drink  is  raging,  and  whosoever  is  deceived 
thereby  is  not  wise.'  " 

"That's  dogmatic  enough,"  said  the  doctor.  "Liquors 
have  their  place;  they  should  be  used,  not  abused.  In  certain 
conditions  they  contribute  to  the  nourishment  of  the  body." 

"  Keep  them  for  the  sick  then.  Don't  let  well  men  poison 
themselves." 

"  Ah,  you  are  too  hard  on  us.  Pay.  You  never  knew  the 
goodly  fellowship  in  a  glass  of  old  Madeira.  You  never  ex- 
perienced the  delicious  reverie  in  a  fine  cigar.  Poor  fellow, 
you  haven't  half  tasted  life  yet." 

"  I  don't  want  to  taste  it,  if  it  will  make  my  mouth  like  a 
smoked  ham  and  my  brain  and  stomach  like  a  distillery." 

The  paymaster  was  one  of  those  good  men  so  rarely  found 
in  the  navy.  He  was  a  strong,  handsome  fellow,  a  little  above 
the  average  in  stature,  with  regular  features,  a  scholarly  brow, 
a  moustache  and  goatee,  and  a  strong,  bold  chin.  He  was 
known  to  be  a  church  member  at  his  New  England  home, 
and  that  fact,  aside  from  his  uniform  kindness  and  conscien- 
tiousness, made  all  respect  him.  A  church  member  on  a 
man-of-war  was  considered  a  rm^a  avis — a  sort  of  unique  speci- 
men of  the  genus  homo.  He  was  (]|uiet  and  unassuming  gen- 
erally, but  did  not  hesitate  to  administer  restraining  advice 
and  moral  reproof  when  he  saw  an  op()ortnnity.  He  was 
rather  vain,  it  was  thought,  of  his  personal  appearance,  and 
rather  susceptible  to  the  charms  of  ladies'  society,  but  he 
shrank  from  the  appearance  of  evil,  as  from  a  pestilence. 

The  starboard  steerage  was  amusing  itself  one  day  in  a 
thoughtless  way  with  a  little  negro  boy  named  George  Wash- 
ington. George  was  fond  of  play  as  a  kitten ;  he  had  a  hard 
head,  and  was  eager  for  quarter  dollars.     The  middies  slung 


106  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

a  cannon  ball  in  a  piece  of  canvas,  suspended  it  by  a  roj)e  to 
a  beam  in  the  steerage,  and  got  George  to  see  now  far  he  could 
butt  it  for  a  quarter.  He  had  already  knocked  over  a  barrel 
of  bread  and  burst  several  closet  doors  with  his  head,  and  was 
therefore  somewhat  seasoned.  George  butted  the  ball  bravely 
and  swung  it  out  a  yard.  The  middies  shouted  and  clapped 
their  hands,  and  told  him,  if  he  would  butt  it  so  it  would 
strike  the  beam,  he  should  have  a  dollar.  He  butted  it  again 
heavily,  and,  as  the  ball  came  back  towards  him,  struck  it 
with  head  down  a  terrific  blow,  and  then  fell  limp  and  appa- 
rently lifeless  upon  the  deck.  There  was  great  consternation; 
he  was  put  upon  the  table;  some  dashed  him  with  water, 
others  douched  him  with  vinegar,  hartshorn  and  whiskey  ;  sev- 
eral ran  for  the  doctor,  and  all  the  steerage  fellows  were  terri- 
bly frightened. 

The  doctor  and  paymaster  came,  the  lad  had  concussion  of 
the  brain,  and  was  carried  to  the  sick-bay.  The  paymaster 
seized  the  opportunity  and  administered  to  those  pale,  demor- 
alized youths  a  reproof  and  a  moral  tongue  lashing,  which 
kept  theui  spellbound  for  some  minutes.  Not  till  he  was  in 
the  wardroom,  did  they  breatiie  easily  ;  then  some  of  them 
went  up  on  deck  to  smoke  and  thiidi,  others  got  in  their  bunks 
sorrowfully  and  went  to  sleep,  and  there  was  nothing  but  rou- 
tine and  gloom  in  their  mess  till  George  came  back  safe  and 
sound  to  wait  upon  them.  George  did  no  more  butting;  he 
looked  askance  at  the  split  closet  doors,  and  told  the  wardroom 
privately,  "  them  midsliipmuus  is  a  wicked  set." 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  107 


CHAPTER  IX. 

One  day  a  shore  boat  brought  off  notes  of  invitation  to  a 
ball  at  Madam  Fontana's.  The  note  to  Bloss  was  accom- 
panied by  a  bouquet.  The  lady  was  a  wealthy  Spaniard's 
widow,  and  she  had  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  Mr.  Bloss.  Bloss 
placed  the  flowers  upon  the  wardroom  table,  with  an  appended 
card,  containing : 

"  He  who  does  these  flowers  displace, 
Must  meet  the  owner  face  to  face."_ 

There  was  a  great  overhauling,  brushing  up,  and  repairing 
of  uniforms.  Gold  bands  had  to  be  sewed  on  sleeves,  shoulder- 
straps  required  fastening  at  the  ends,  white  pants  demanded 
repair  of  seams  and  buttons,  and  kid  gloves  needed  cleaning 
from  dirt  and  mildew.  The  officers  got  out  their  sewing  cases 
and  boxes,  provided  by  loving  hands  at  home,  and  set  to  work 
in  their  rooms  to  refurbish  and  beautify  their  wardrobes. 
They  went  about  it  as  handy  as  journeymen  tailors.  Every 
seafaring  man  makes  a  virtue  of  necessity  and  learns  a  little 
of  back  stitching  and  setting  on  buttons.  If  he  did  not,  he 
would  soon  be  as  dilapidated  as  a  ship  after  a  storm,  as  it  is 
impossible  to  get  men  about  the  ship  to  repair  damages  to 
clothing  in  an  emergency. 

After  supper  the  dressing  began,  and  one  would  have 
thought  the  mess  was  going  en  masse  to  a  royal  reception  at 
the  court  of  the  Russian  Emperor,  so  much  time  and  care 
were  expended  in  personal  adornment.  Several  practical  jokes 
were  played  during  the  melee.  One  man  found  his  boots 
chalked ;  another  had  mucilage  in  his  hair-oil  bottle,  and 
another  discovered  that  somebody  had  put  a  few  drops  of  car- 
bolic acid  in  his  cologne.  At  last  Sanborn  had  his  hair  jmrted 
and  brushed  to  perfection ;  Horton  had  his  moustache  and 
goatee  pointed  sharply;  Lawson  had  chalked  the  iron  rust 
from  his  shirt  front ;  Careswell  liad  borrowed  a  more  becom- 


108  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

ing  necktie,  and  Bloss  had  succeeded  in  crowding  his  corpu- 
lence inside  his  outgrown  frock  coat  to  the  imminent  danger 
of  buttons.  Then  occurred  a  magnanimous  act,  only  equalled 
by  Diocletian's  division  of  the  Roman  Empire.  Bloss  took 
the  bouquet,  his  souvenir  of  affection,  deliberately  cut  it  apart, 
and  gave  each  of  his  messmates  a  boutonniere,  retaining  the 
red  rose  for  his  own  lappel. 

The  officer-of-the-deck  was  notified;  a  cutter  was  called 
away,  and  the  gallant  band  was  soon  carried  ashore.  It  was 
nine  o'clock ;  the  moon  shone  brightly  over  the  white  beach 
and  the  whiter  walls  of  Fort  Taylor;  the  small  vessels  and 
the  ponderous  men-of-war  were  pictured  upon  a  bay  of  dappled 
silver,  and  a  soft  breeze  rustled  the  trees  and  cooled  the  brows 
of  the  aniuiated  officers.  They  made  their  way  through 
groups  of  noisy,  picturesque  negroes,  slouching,  broad-hatted 
sailors  and  quiet,  well-clad  citizens,  to  the  farther  suburb  of 
the  town  ;  entered  a  garden  along  a  shell  walk;  mounted  the 
steps  of  a  brilliantly  illuminated  mansion ;  gave  their  cards 
to  a  negro  servant,  and  were  escorted  tq  the  dressing-room. 
Then  they  descended  to  the  parlors  and  were  presented  to 
Madam  Fontana  and  the  guests  by  Colonel  Gordon. 

The  rooms  were  large  and  modern ;  the  carpets  and  lace 
curtains  were  costly  and"  beautiful ;  the  furniture  was  heavy 
mahogany  and  cane-work  in  peculiar  patterns  ;  the  walls  were 
covered  with  engravings,  paintings  and  pieces  of  shell  work  ; 
a  Spanish  and  an  American  flag  draped  a  large  mirror,  and 
exquisitely  tinted  shells,  magnificent  bunches  of  snowy  coral, 
and  stuffed  birds  of  brilliant  plumage,  were  placed  upon  the 
mantels,  brackets  and  tables.  The  windows  were  open,  and 
the  soft  breeze  lifted  the  lace  curtains  gently  and  mingled  with 
the  sweet  music  of  violins,  flutes  and  guitars,  which  floated 
through  the  rooms  from  unseen  quarters  iii  the  hall. 

A  merry  company  of  fair  women  and  brave  men  filled  the 
rooms,  the  windows,  and  the  ])iazza  around  the  house.  The 
gentlemen  included  the  best  citizens  of  the  place.  Government 
officials  and  army  and  navy  officers.  The  ladies  were  some  of 
them  wives  of  the  gentlemen  present,  but  the  larger  number 
were  young,  single  ladies  belonging  to  Key  West.  The  civil- 
ians were  in  evening  dress,  and  the  officers  were  in  full  uni- 
form.    To  have  appeared  otherwise,  would  have  been  to  have 


A    XAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  109 

mii(lt>  a  faux  pas,  even  upon  that  little  dry  key  in  the  ^u\L 
Many  of  the  ladies  were  dressed  in  white,  especially  those 
"native  to  the  manor  born;"  a  few,  however,  rivalled  their 
Northern  sisters  in  silks  of  delicate  i-hades  of  pink,  huff,  pearl 
and  blue. 

Madame  Fontana  was  dressed  in  gray  silk  and  wore  a  tiara 
of  diamonds.  She  was  about  twenty-five  years  of  age,  and 
had  lost  little  of  the  beauty  which  had  made  her  a  belle  in 
her  Cuban  home  at  Matanzas.  Slie  greeted  the  officers  of  the 
Nautilus  with  particular  warmth  of  manner,  and  introduced 
them  with  delicate  compliments  lo  some  of  her  favorite  lady 
friends.  They  were  soon  engaged  walking  about  the  piazza 
or  strolling  through  the  garden.  The  main  parlors  were  full, 
and  many  were  dancing,  while  others,  who  had  just  finished  a 
quadrille  or  a  polka,  had  sought  the  moonlit  walks  and  the 
evening  air  for  conversation.  Careswell  soon  tired  of  dancing, 
and  walked  up  and  down  the  front  piazza  with  his  partner,  a 
Miss  Good,  who  was  one  of  the  most  beautiful  and  graceful 
young  ladies  of  the  company,  and  whom  he  thought  just  then 
good  enough  for  any  one. 

"It  is  a  lovely  night,"  said  he.  "How  softly  the  wind 
murmurs  through  the  trees." 

"  Yes,"  she  replied,  "it  is  very  soft." 

"  How  delicately  the  moonlight  tints  the  wavelets  of  the 
Gulf  and  paints  the  winding  shore  with  bands  of  snowy  white- 
ness." 

"  Yes,  it  looks  delicate." 

"Do  not  the  massive  walls  of  Fort  Taylor  look  beautiful, 
with  the  lights  and  shades  so  harmoniously  blended  ?" 

"Yes,  it  looks  beautiful." 

"  It  stands  there  with  its  guns  frowning  upon  the  harbor,  a 
representative  of  the  dignity  and  power  of  the  United  States, 
and  a  menace  to  her  foes." 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  like  the  officers  of  the  fort?" 

"Oh,  yes!  Colonel  Gordon  is  such  a  gallant  man;  and 
Lieutenant  Long  is  so  good  looking." 

"  Do  you  think  him  handsome?" 

"Oh,  yes;  his  moustache  is  so  pretty." 

"  It's  tafFy  color,  isn't  it  ?" 


110  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

"  No,  it — it  i.s  sort  of  yellowish  auburn." 

"  Do  you  like  to  live  in  Key  West?" 

"  Yes." 

"  It  is  a  delightful  home,  isn't  it?" 

"Yes,  I  think  it  the  best  place  I  know." 

"  Have  you  ever  travelled  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Have  you  been  North  ?" 

"  No." 

"  Where  have  you  travelled  ?" 

"  I  have  been  to  Habana." 

"  Ah  !  that's  a  long  journey  ;  a  hundred  miles,  isn't  it  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Did  you  like  Habana  ?" 

"  Only  a  little — it  is  too  hot." 

"  Did  you  go  into  the  interior  of  Cuba  ?" 

"  No." 

"  What  particularly  impressed  you  in  the  ancient  city  ?" 

"  Nothing.  The  ladies  wear  very  high  combs,  and  the 
gentlemen  smoke  all  the  time.  Papa  bought  me  a  comb,  but 
I  never  would  wear  it." 

"  Do  you  like  parties  and  balls?" 

"Oh,  ever  so  much  !'' 

"  You  find  society  different  here  now  from  what  it  was  be- 
fore the  war  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  Do  you  like  to  visit  the  men-of-war  ?" 

"  Yes,  indeed  !" 

"  You  must  come  aboard  the  Nautilus  some  day." 

"  Yes,  thank  you." 

MissGrood  opened  and  shut  her  fan  several  times  and  looked 
.through  the  window  at  the  dancers.  Careswell  was  exhausted. 
He  had  tried  hard  to  awaken  interest  and  enthusiasm,  and  had 
met  with  poor  success.  He  could  not  do  all  the  talking.  He 
did  not  want  to  cross-question  like  a  prosecuting  attorney,  and 
this  efforts  in  some  directions  had  not  produced  pleasant  results. 
Miss  Good  was  charming  to  look  upon,  and  several  officers 
had  been  presented  to  her,  who  looked  with  envious  eyes  upon 
his  monopolizing  her  so  long.  Just  then  Madam  Fontana 
came  along  with  Mr.  Bloss.     "  You  naughty  girl,"  she  said  to 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  Ill 

]\Iiss  Good,  "to  keep  Mr.  Caresvvell  so  long  to  yourself.  I 
have  been  watching  you.  Lieutenant  Long  has  been  talking 
in  monosyllables  to  the  Misses  Garver,  and  I  believe  he  has 
pulled  half  his  moustache  out  by  the  roots." 

"Let  him  pull,"  said  Oareswell  coolly;  "its  yellowish 
auburn  luxuriance  will  soon  return." 

"  Now,  no  sarcasm,  Lieutenant,"  said  Madam;  "no  rivalry. 
You  ought  to  be  very  happy  for  the  favor  that  has  been  shown 
you  to-night.  Come  with  me,  I  have  something  to  say  to  you. 
Laura  take  Mr.  Bloss'  arm." 

Careswell  said  "  Au  revoir,  Senorita,"  and  walked  down  a 
garden  path  with  Madam. 

"  You  find  her  charming,  don't  you  now.  Lieutenant?"  said 
she.  Naval  officers  were  all  lieutenants  or  captains  to  the 
ladies. 

"  Very  charming." 

"She's  a  sweet  girl,  Lieutenant,  and  belongs  to  one  of  our 
best  families." 

"Does  she?" 

"  Yes,  and  her  father  is  rich." 

"  How  much  is  he  worth  ?" 

"  Oh,  many  thousands." 

"  What  is  his  business?" 

"  He  owns  turtlers." 

"  Turtlers  !     What  are  turtlers  ?" 

"Don't  you  know?  Turtlers  are  vessels  that  go  along  the 
keys  and  catch  turtles." 

"  What  does  he  do  with  them  ?" 

"He  sells  them  to  the  market  men,  and  ships  them  to 
Habana  and  New  York." 

"  He  is  a  sort  of  fisherman  then  ?" 

"  No,  indeed  !  Fishermen  go  out  in  boats,  and  fish  with 
lines  and  draw  seines.     He  never  does  that." 

"  Does  he  go  in  a  vessel  ?" 

"Yes,  but  he  owns  parts  of  vessels  that  go  without- him." 

"  Do  the  parts  of  vessels  go  ?" 

"  No  ;  how  foolish  !     You  know  better  than  that." 

"  Do  turtles  coo  ?" 

"  Not  that  I  know  of." 

"  The  Bible  says  they  do  in  Palestine." 


112  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

"  Does  it  ?" 

''  Do  they  bite  ?" 

"  No." 

"  I  have  seen  theiii  bite." 

"  Have  you  ?  They  don't  bite  hooks.  The  men  find  a 
turtle  in  shallow  water,  and  throw  a  long  pole  pointed  with 
iron  at  him;  the  iron  sticks  into  his  shell,  and  they  draw  hira 
in  by  a  line  fastened  to  the  iron." 

"  Oh,  I  understand.     Mr.  Good  is  a  turtler  and  catches  and 
deals  in  turtles.     I  thought  some  one  was  at   the   business. 
We  have  had  turtle  souped,  boiled,  fried  and  roasted,  aboard 
the  Nautilus,  till  I  begin  to  feel  like  a  Testudo." 
.    "What  is  that?" 

"A  stuffed  and  animated  carapax." 

"  What  do  you  mean.  Lieutenant?" 

"I  mean  I  am  sick  of  turtle  meat.  It  may  do  for  intoxi- 
cated aldermen  and  isolated  islanders,  but  I  prefer  beef." 

"  Yes,  beef  is  very  good,  but  it  is  all  jerked  down  here." 

"  Well,  jerked  beef  is  very  good  as  they  cook  it  in  Havana." 

"  Mr.  Bloss  seems  to  be  a  favorite  with  the  ladies  to-night." 

"  Yes,  he  is  a  favorite  everywhere.  He  is  the  life  of  the 
ship." 

"  How  is  that  ?" 

"  Why,  he  is  so  jolly.  He  always  has  a  kind  word  for 
every  one.  He  smooths  over  our  differences;  keeps  all  his 
messmates  in  good  humor  by  his  jokes  and  stories,  and  is  as 
full  of  poetry  as  the  sea  is  full  of  fish.  He  is  a  talented  fellow. 
I  don't  know  how  he  will  like  the  smell  of  powder,  he  has 
never  been  under  fire." 

"Are  you  going  into  danger,  Lieutenant?  Do  you  expect 
to  go  into  battle  soon  ?" 

"  Not  at  present  that  I  know  of.  You  know  we  must  go 
where  duty  calls  us,  and  we-may  be  ordered  against  the  enemy's 
forts  any  day." 

"  Oh,  I  think  war  is  terrible.  It  is  awful  to  have  men  shot, 
and  I  should  be  sorry  to  have  any  of  ray  friends  on  the  Nauti- 
lus hurt." 

"  Thank  you.     So  should  I." 

They  walked  along  the  piazza  and  met  Col.  Gordon. 

"  Ah  !  Careswell,  my  boy,"  said  he,  "  beware  of  bright  eyes 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  113 

and  the  moonbeams.  The  Key  West  ladies  are  great  heart- 
breakers.'' 

"  Has  any  one  broken  yonrs,  Colonel?"  asked  Madam. 

"Oh,  no;  only  battered  it  a  little,"  said  he,  laughing. 

Dr.  Willett  carae  along  just  tlien  with  the  regimental  sur- 
geon's wife,  and  joined  in  the  conversation.  Careswell  was 
introduced  to  one  of  the  Misses  Garver  and  danced  awliile, 
then  supper  was  announced  and  he  escorted  her  to  tlie  table. 

The  supper  consisted  of  all  the  delicacies  obtainable  there. 
The  waiters  served  the  party  rai)idly  and  skilfully,  showing 
that  they  had  l)een  well  trained  at  many  similar  entertain- 
ments. Madam  sat  at  the  head  of  the  table  with  Bloss  upon 
her  right.  Paymaster  Horton  was  upon  her  left,  with  Miss 
Lizzie  Garver,  to  whom  he  had  been  very  attentive,  and 
Careswell  and  his  lady  were  near  the  middle  of  the  table  oppo- 
site Lieut.  Tjong  and  Miss  Good. 

Colonel  Gordon  graced  the  foot  of  the  table  by  his  command- 
ing presence,  having  civilians  and  officers  with  their  ladies 
upon  either  hand. 

The  Misses  Garver  were  different  from  the  other  Key  West 
ladies.  They  were  large,  strong,  red  cheeked  girls,  rather 
self  assertive  in  manner,  and  dressed  with  an  extravagant  dis- 
play of  ribbons  and  colors.  The  quiet  and  pious  paymaster 
was  quite  subdued  by  the  manner  and  tone  of  his  companion, 
and  listened  to  her  volubility  amazed  and  uneasy.  Careswell 
sat  demurely  attentive  to  the  communications  of  his  lady,  and, 
when  she  showed  signs  of  stopping  talking,  encouraged  her  by 
an  appropriate  show  of  interest  and  well  considered  questions. 
He  anticipated  her  every  want,  had  her  plate  kept  full  of 
good  things  and  her  wine  glass  replenished,  noted  her  extraor- 
dinary appetite,  and  wondered  at  the  difference  between  her 
and  Miss  Good,  who  spoke  little,  kept  her  eyes  cast  down, 
and  nibbled  at  the  feast  as  if  merely  to  keep  up  appearances. 

There  was  a  wide  social  chasm  between  the  young  ladies. 
Miss  Good  had  been  born  into  her  set,  the  highest  upon  the 
island.  Miss  Garver  had  gradually  worked  herself  into  it 
through  her  manoeuvering  and  dash,  and  by  means  of  enter- 
tainments which  she  had  lately  been  able  to  give,  owing  to  her 
father's  accumulations  in  the  pilotage  business.  Capt.  Garver 
was  a  kind,  generous,  honest,  hard-working  man,  ignorant  of 


114  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

book  knowledge,  and  he  fully  appreciated  his  deficiencies. 
After  he  had  accumulated  some  money,  he  said  '  his  darters 
should  have  an  etlication  ;'  so  he  sent  them  to  the  North,  where 
they  were  duly  instructed  in  a  flimsy  boarding  school,  from 
which  they  returned  with  a  smattering  of  French  and  music 
to  delight  the  declining  years  of  their  parents.  The  old  gen- 
tleman kept  open  house  for  all  the  officers  at  the  Key,  sup- 
plied excellent  wines  and  genuine  Havana  cigars  to  his  guests, 
presented  his  daughters,  and  had  them  exhibit  their  accom- 
plishments, and  tried  to  use  their  large  words  with  becom- 
ing gravity  and  most  nonsensical  consequences.  His  house 
was  much  frequented  by  naval  officers,  and  there  are  few 
who  served  in  the  East  Gulf  Squadron  who  do  not  remember 
his  kindness,  his  daughters,  and  his  mal-apropos  use  of  Eng- 
lish. 

Miss  Garver  rattled  on  quite  careless  of  all  around  her, 
casting  a  glance  of  impudent  defiance  at  Miss  Good  occasionally, 
■while  the  latter  lady  curled  her  lip  disdainfully  and  watched 
Careswell  stealthily.  If  Careswell  had  found  in  Miss  Good 
an  intellectual  desert,  he  had  now  struck  a  perfect  oasis  of 
richness. 

"  Lieutenant,"  said  Miss  Garver,  "  you  don't  knovv  how 
to  eat  an  orange.  Here,'give  it  to  me,  I'll  show  you,  and  you 
can  introduce  the  fashion  up  North.  Take  the  orange  by  the 
ends  between  your  forefinger  and  thumb,  then  cut  it  this  way 
clear  across,  now  put  the  halves  in  your  plate  so,  sweep  out  all 
the  seeds,  sprinkle  it  with  sugar,  if  you  want  to,  and  eat  with 
a  spoon  or  gnaw  out  the  pulp  with  your  upper  teeth — your 
little  moustache  won't  hurt. 

"  Some  people  quarter  an  orange  peel  as  if  they  wanted  a 
pattern  to  cover  a  ball.  That's  no  way.  Just  peel  it  round 
and  round  like  you  would  an  apple,  then  you  don't  get  your 
finger-nails  full  and  can  cut  it  across  as  before.  I  can  always 
tell  a  Yankee  by  the  way  he  eats  an  orange,  unless  he  has 
been  educated  by  some  of  us." 

"Well,  that  is  an  improvement,"  said  Careswell.  "Did 
you  know  Senor  Fontana?" 

"  Yes,  a  little.  He  was  a  proud,  haughty  man,  and  claimed 
to  belong  to  one  of  the  best  families  of  Spain.  He  held  a 
Government  appointment  in  Habana,  and  used  to  come  over 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  115 

here  in  his  yacht.  He  took  his  American  wife  to  Europe, 
established  a  home  in  a  pretty  villa  back  of  Matanzas  on  his 
return,  and  ?oon  after  died  of  yellow  fever.  Madam  did  not 
like  her  adopted  country,  so  she  gathered  up  her  piasters  and 
moved  over  here." 

"  Do  you  think  she  loved  him?" 

"  I  suppose  so;  she  was  respectful,  obedient  and  all  that." 

"  She  doesn't  seem  very  unhappy  to-night." 

"  She  is  not ;  she  is  as  gay  as  any  of  us.  Who  is  that  officer 
next  to  Miss  Mixon  ?" 

"That  is  Lieut.  Ashton." 

''Well,  I  hope  he  doesn't  belong  to  your  ship.  I  don't 
like  his  looks.     He  and  that  engineer  seem  determined  to  get 

Careswell  glanced  around  uneasily.  Horton  was  fingering 
a  full  glass  and  drinking  nothing;  Willett  was  pledging  the 
health  of  Surgeon  Eldwards,  and  the  army  officers  and  civilians 
were  engaged  in  an  animated  discussion  upon  the  Mason  and 
Slidell  affair.  Conversation  became  more  general  with  the 
fruits  and  ices,  a  few  patriotic  toasts  were  drunk  and  the  party 
arose  and  sauntered  about  the  garden. 

Careswell  had  seen  quite  enough  of  Miss  Garver  by  this 
time,  and  soon  managed  to  drop  her  and  get  into  the  vicinity 
of  Laura,  who  excused  herself  to  Lieut.  Long  and  took  his 
arm  for  a  promenade. 

"  Miss  Garver  wants  an  escort,"  said  Careswell  to  Long 
lightly.     Long  turned  red,  scowled  and  walked  away. 

"  How  did  you  enjoy  your  supper  and  your  companion  ?" 
was  Careswell's  first  question. 

"  Very  well,"  answered  Laura.  "How  ean  you  fancy  Miss 
Garver  ?" 

"Who  said  I  fancied  her?  She  is  lively,  intelligent  and 
kind  hearted.  That's  more  than  one  can  say  of  some  Key 
Westers." 

"  She's  a  Conch  !" 

"A  what?" 

"  A  Conch.     Don't  you  know  what  that  is?" 

"Yes;  a  conch  is  a  shell  of  the  genus  Strombus.  Conch- 
ology,  the  science  of  shells,  is  derived  from  it.  Did  you  ever 
study  conchology  ?" 


116  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

*'  Xo,  but  Key  West  conchs  are  not  shells." 

"  What  are  they?"  asked  Careswell  with  a  puzzled  air. 

"A  class  in  society.  Society  is  rather  mixed  here,  but 
there  are  three  distinct  sets,  called  Kingfishers,  Conchs,  and 
Sponges." 

"  Why,  that  is  as  bad  as  the  Brahminical  castes  in  India." 

"  Is  it  ?     Have  you  been  to  India?" 

"  No." 

"  How  do  you  know  about  them  then  ?" 

"I  have  read  about  them  in  history." 

"Oh,  have  you?  Well,  we  have  these  castes  here.  The 
Kingfishers  are  all  fine  people,  with  plenty  of  money,  and  are 
the  true  aristocracy.  They  dress  well,  live  well,  have  nice 
houses,  give  |)arties  and  balls,  and  do  very  little  work.  Madam 
Fontana  is  the  Queen  of  the  Kingfishers,  and  many  of  the 
ladies  here  to-night  are  her  subjects." 

"  I  suppose  you  are  a  Kingfisher?" 

"Oh,  yes;  I  always  was.  The  Conchs  are  not  educated, 
they  dress  in  bad  taste,  rarely  give  parties,  and  are  obliged  to 
work  all  the  time.  They  are  always  trying  to  become  King- 
fishers and  to  get  into  our  society.  There  are  so  few  ladies  on 
the  island  that  some  of  them  are  occasionally  invited  into  our 
set.  Miss  Garver  is  a  c'onch,  so  is  her  sister,  and  that  tall 
woman  in  buff — she  is  the  Queen  of  the  Conchs." 

Careswell  and  Laura  moved  nearer  to  the  window  to  have  a 
good  look  at  the  queen.  Just  then  Mr.  Lawson  appeared, 
looking  rather  flushed  and  excited,  spoke  to  Miss  Sanders,  the 
queen,  and  they  were  soon  whirling  around  the  room  in  a 
waltz,  "^he  music  was  fast  and  their  movements  rapid,  and 
everybody  hastened  to  see  their  grace  and  skill.  Suddenly 
Lawson  turned  pale,  let  go  of  his  partner,  staggered  and  sank 
into  a  chair.  Dr.  Willett  was  at  his  side  iu  a  moment,  had 
him  taken  into  the  air  outside,  and  announced  that  it  was 
merely  an  attack  of  vertigo. 

The  music,  dancing,  promenading  and  gossiping  went  on  as 
before,  and  few  thought  anything  more  of  the  accident. 

"  I  want  to  hear  about  the  Sponges,"  said  Careswell.  "  You 
finished  your  description  of  the  Conchs,  didn't  you?" 

"Yes,"  said  J^aura.  "The  Sponges  are  the  lowest  and 
poorest  class  upon  the  Key,  and  include  the  laborers,  the  sailors 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  117 

and  the  nefi;roes.  A  few  of  them  sometimes  get  to  be  Conclis, 
but  never  Kingfishers." 

"  Some  of  the  negroes?" 

"No;  they  never  bleach  as  some  of  the  others  do.  Now 
you  know  all  about  us  and  will  be  able  to  understand,  that,  if 
you  associate  with  Conchs,  you  will  not  have  many  friends 
among  the  Kinijfishers." 

''  All  right.  Miss  Kingfisher,  I  understand.  Shall  we  go  in 
and  dance  that  polka?" 

"  If  you  please." 

Careswell  and  Laura  went  into  the  parlor  and  were  soon 
moving  around  the  room  to  the  delicious  music.  Madam 
Fontana  was  the  centre  of  a  group  of  ladies  and  gentlemen 
near  a  window. 

"  How  graceful  she  is  !" 

"  What  pretty  nut-brown  hair  and  eyes  !" 

"  What  delicate  hands  and  feet !" 

"How  well  they  dance!" 

"  They  are  a  fine  looking  couple." 

"Who  is  she?" 

"Where  does  she  live?" 

"Who  is  he?" 

"  What  vessel  does  he  belong  to  ?" 

These  exclamations  and  questions  were  addressed  to  Madam, 
who  took  pleasure  in  giving  the  party  all  the  information  de- 
sired and  joined  in  their  admiration. 

Soon  after  this  the  dancing  ceased,  the  musicians  went  to 
sup])er,  and  the  guests  began  to  depart.  Careswell  stood  upon 
the  piazza  cap  in  hand  among  the  ladies,  when  Ijieut.  Long 
brushed  rudely  by,  went  up  to  Laura  and  said,  "Shall  I  have 
the  pleasure  of  escorting  you  home?" 

"  No,  thank  you ;  I  stay  with  Madam,"  said  she  icily. 

liong  bowed  his  adieux  and  departed. 

Laura  held  out  her  hand  to  Careswell  and  said,  "Good 
night;  I  hope  we  shall  see  you  soon  again." 

"  Good  night,"  said  he,  kissing  her  hand,  which  action 
caused  her  to  shrink  within  the  door. 

"A  Dios,  Sefior,"  said  Madam  ;  "we  shall  always  be  glad 
to  see  you  when  you  come  ashore." 

"  Thank  you.    Good  night,"  said  he,  bowing  and  going  away. 


118  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

Bloss  was  the  last  officer  of  the  Nautilus  to  leave,  and  he 
came  away  in  company  with  Col.  Gordon.  The  officers  were 
all  waiting  at  the  boat-landing  when  he  came  down  and  had 
many  jokes  at  his  long  tarrying.  He  laughed  heartily  at  the 
sallies  of  wit  at  his  expense,  and  had  his  rose  still  safe  in  his 
lappel. 

"  It  took  you  a  long  time  to  say  adieu,  Bloss.  What  did 
you  have  to  talk  about?"  asked  the  paymaster. 

"  Nothing.     I  remarked, 

'  Tlie  stars  their  early  vigils  keep, 
The  silent  hours  are  near.' " 

"Always  poetic.     Did  that  take  you  half  an  hour?" 

"  Three-quarters,  you  mean,"  said  the  doctor.  "  I  have  no 
doubt  he  hung  by  the  eyelids  and  talked  sweet  till  Madam 
grew  sleepy." 

"  1  did  not  rush  down  here  like  a  locomotive.  Great  bodies 
move  slowly.  I  came  with  the  ease  and  dignity  of  an  officer 
on  half-pay." 

"Did  you  kiss  her  hand  and  vow  eternal  fidelity?"  asked 
Careswell. 

"  No,  but  I  saw  you  do  it  to  another  lady." 

Everybody  laughed  and  Careswell  said  no  more. 

"  I  might  have  said,"  continued  Bloss, 

'  I  ninst  leave  thee  lady  sweet ! 
Months  shall  waste  before  we  meet; 
Winds  are  fair  and  sails  are  spread, 
Anchors  leave  their  ocean  bed  ;' — 

but  I  did  not,  because  I  expect  to  see  her  again  to-morrow 
afternoon  and  we  are  not  going  to  sea  just  yet." 

"Will  you  gentlemen  get  into  the  boat?"  growled  the 
sleepy  midshipman  in  the  stern  sheets  of  the  cutter. 

"  When  we  get  ready,  sir,"  replied  Felton. 

"Very  well,  sir;  I've  been  waiting  here  an  hour  already, 
and  I  protest  against  any  longer  delay." 

"Well,  protest  you  may,  but  wait  you  must,  my  son  of 
Neptune.  This  is  your  share  of  the  party,  and  it  would  be  a 
pity  to  rob  you  of  it." 


A    NAVAL  STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  119 

"  Let's  go  aboard,  Felton,"  said  the  doctor  persuasively. 

"  All  right;  let's  get  aboard,  gentlemen,"  he  answered. 

Tlie  party  got  into  the  boat;  the  bow  oarsman  pushed  off; 
the  men  let  their  oars  fall,  and  they  were  soon  on  board  ship. 
Ashton  was  rather  lively  and  explained  over  and  over  again 
how  Long  happened  to  get  "  half  seas  over,"  and  Lawson 
kept  asking,  "  Did  vou  know  I  danced  with  the  Queen  of  the 
Conchs?" 

The  tired  officers  sought  their  bunks,  but  occasionally  they 
could  hear  the  words,  sung  to  a  popular  air, 

"  I  danced  with  the  Queen  of  the  Conchs,  Conchs,  Conchs ; 
I  danced  with  the  Queen  of  the  Conchs.". 

♦Thus  ended  one  of  the  most  enjoyable  entertainments  at  Key 
West. 

There  was  queer  work  going  on  aboard  the  Nautilus.  The 
hull  was  given  another  coat  of  black  paint;  the  topgallant 
masts  were  sent  down  and  replaced  by  thicker  ones,  with 
short  stubby  poles ;  covers  were  made  for  the  lower  masts  and 
smoke-stack  and  painted  yellow,  and  barrels  of  tar  were  stored 
in  the  coal-bunkers  to  burn  in  the  furnaces  and  make  black 
smoke.  Thus  the  vessel  could  be  changed  into  the  semblance 
of  an  English  steamer  at  short  notice,  and  blockade-runners 
perhaps  enticed  within  gun-shot.  The  ship  was  coaled  to  her 
full  capacity  and  a  good  supply  of  stores  was  stowed  below. 

The  men  worked  very  hard,  and  were  permitted  to  enjoy 
themselves  after  supper,  during  the  second  dog-watch,  between 
six  and  eight  o'clock,  which  is  regarded  as  sailor's  holiday. 
They  went  in  swimming,  and  had  foot-races  on  the  beach  and 
rowing  races  in  the  cutters.  They  had  concertinas,  accordi- 
ons, violins,  banjos,  guitars,  flutes,  harmonicas,  jewsharps  and 
bones,  which  they  played  with  a  good  deal  of  skill  and  taste. 
Quite  a  number  formed  a  vocal  club  and  sang  all  the  nautical 
and  popular  songs  with  animation  and  spirit.  They  danced 
many  of  the  shuffles  peculiar  to  the  stage,  and  formed  sets  and 
went  through  reels,  quadrilles  and  hornpipes  vigorously. 
They  rehearsed  condensed  comedies  and  tragedies,  and  gave 
excellent  representations,  dressed  in  such  costumes  as  they 
could  improvise  from  their  clothing.     They  held   civil   and 


120  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

military  courts  and  punished  their  criminals  in  comical  ways 
that  caused  boisterous  laughter.  The  space  between  two  guns 
served  for  a  dressing-room  and  stage;  a  gun-carriage  made  a 
judge's  bench,  a  parlor  sofa  or  a  royal  tlirone  ;  the  ship's  pikes 
and  cutlasses  were  used  to  arm  a  band  of  robbers  or  an  impe- 
rial guard;  the  tarpaulins  and  swabs  were  fashioned  into 
jackasses,  camels  and  elephants,  and  ropes  were  stretched  to 
divide  the  deck  into  boxes,  parquet  and  gallery,  where  the 
officers  and  men  gathered  as  spectators.  Every  ])leasant  eve- 
ning something  was  prepared  for  the  amusement,  if  not  for  the 
instruction,  of  the  audience,  and  visitors  from  other  vessels 
were  glad  to  join  the  company,  to  enjoy  the  entertainment,  and 
to  add  to  the  merriment.  The  officers  liked  the  sport  almost  as 
well  as  the  sailors,  and  the  latter  preferred  generally  to  remain 
aboard  ship  and  take  part  in  the  fun,  rather  than  to  w^ander 
around  the  grog  shops  and  waste  their  money  ashore.  The 
evenings  w'ere  so  refreshing  after  the  hot  days,  that  everybody 
remained  on  deck  far  into  the  night,  and  the  sailors  were  per- 
mitted to  follow  their  sports  till  nine  and  sometimes  ten  o'clock. 
There  never  was  a  more  generous  and  liberal  executive  than 
Mr.  Felton,  nor  a  happier  or  better  contented  ship's  crew  than 
that  of  the  K"autilus. 


A    NAVAL   SfORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  121 


CHAPTER  X. 

These  pleasant  times  could  not  go  on  forever,  and  one  day 
the  news  spread  through  the  ship  tliat  she  would  sail  the  fol- 
lowing morning.  The  officers  made  haste  ashore  to  bid  adieu 
to  their  friends,  and  letters  were  written  by  many  to  leave  by 
the  next  mail  l^orth.  The  U.  S.  supply  steamer  Union  ar- 
rived and  delivered  her  mail  ami  fresh  provisions  to  the  fleet, 
just  in  time,  and  then  departed  for  stations  up  the  coast. 

The  next  morning  at  eight  o'clock,  steam  was  gotten  up  ;  a 
rough-looking  pilot  came  aboard  and  took  charge  of  the  bridge, 
with  Mr.  Felton  alongside  of  him;  the  anchor  was  weighed, 
and  the  Nautilus  steamed  out  of  the  reef-guarded  anchorage 
(if  the  Key  and  shaj^ed  her  course  for  the  west  end  of  Cuba. 
She  went  all  day  under  a  full  head  of  steam  and  slowed  down 
during  the  night,  keeping  a  sharp  lookout  for  all  suspicious 
sail.  The  next  forenoon  a  steamer  was  seen,  heading  to  the 
westward,  and  chase  was  made.  After  a  sharp  run  of  several 
hours,  a  gun  brought  her  to,  and  slie  proved  to  be  the  Missis- 
sippi, bound  from  New  York  to  New  Orleans.  The  persons 
on  board  were  badly  frightened,  as  the  Nautilus  had  put  on  her 
disguise  and  looked  every  bit  like  an  English  vessel.  They 
thought  she  was  the  Alabama,  and  were  so  delighted  at  find- 
ing their  mistake  that  they  sent  several  hampers  of  wine 
aboard,  which  Captain  Prescott  shared  very  liberally  with  the 
wardroom  and  steerage.  It  was  a  great  gratification  to  the 
captain  and  his  crew,  that  the  Nautilus  had  been  able  to  over- 
haul, in  a  fair  race,  so  fine  a  merchant  steamer  as  the  Missis- 
sippi, and  hearty  cheers  were  given  on  both  vessels  as  they 
separated. 

The  course  of  the  Nautilus  was  altered  more  to  the  south- 
ward, and,  in  the  afternoon,  the  high,  bold  coast  of  Cuba  was 
seen ;  then  the  vessel  was  turned  to  the  eastward  and  she 
steamed  slowly  along  towards  Havana. 

Towards  evening  a  small  schooner  was  reported  upon  tht 
port  bow,  standing  to  the  northward.     As  soon  as  the  men 


122  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

aboard  of  her  sjjied  the  Nautilus,  tliey  turned  about  and  made 
all  haste  towards  Cuban  waters.  The  Nautilus  was  headed 
more  in  shore  and  put  at  full  speed,  while  the  forecastle  gun  was 
cleared  for  action,  but,  before  she  could  get  within  gun-shot 
range,  the  little  craft  had  crossed  the  bow  and  was  fast  getting 
into  shoal  water.  A  blank  cartridge  did  not  stop  her,  and  a 
shell  was  sent  whizzing  over  lier,  then  she  lowered  her  foresail 
and  hove  to.  A  boat  was  being  made  ready  to  board  her, 
when  a  sudden  squall  of  wind  and  rain  hid  her  from  sight. 
The  forecastle  was  crowded  with  officers,  the  Parrott  gun 
loaded  and  trained,  the  wind  howling,  the  rain  coming  down 
in  torrents,  and  the  water  shoaling  rapidly,  making  it  danger- 
ous for  the  Nautilus  to  proceed  in  shore  much  farther.  Sud- 
denly the  wind  diminished,  the  rain  ceased,  the  mist  lifted, 
the  sun  shone  brightly,  and  there,  three  miles  away,  the  little 
schooner  was  scudding  directly  for  the  beach  and  not  two 
miles  away  from  it,  with  the  stars  and  bars  flying  from  her 
main  peak.  A  shell  was  sent  after  her  and  burst  in  her  wake, 
and  the  Nautilus  was  headed  more  in  shore,  while  leadsmen 
were  placed  in  the  chains  to  report  the  soundings.  The  next 
shell  i)urst  nearer  to  her  and  had  the  effect  of  bringing  her  to 
again. 

"  She  is  in  neutral  waters  and  thinks  herself  safe,"  said 
Ashton ;  "  we  shall  get  into  trouble  with  the  Spanish  authori- 
ties if  we  take  her  now." 

"  She  is  more  than  a  league  off  shore,"  said  Sanborn.  "  I 
would  capture  her  anyhow  just  for  her  impudence;  there  are 
no  inhabitants  along  here  to  know  the  difference." 

"  She  looks  to  me  about  eight  miles  out,"  said  Careswell, 
looking  through  the  large  end  of  his  marine  glasses. 

"The  shore  is  bold  and  the  hills  high  inland,  which  makes 
the  island  seem  nearer.  I  think  she  is  outside  neutrality," 
said  the  captain.     "  What  do  you  think,  Mr.  Felton  ?" 

"  I  think  we  should  have  the  benefit  of  the  doubt  and  take 
her,"  was  the  answer. 

A  boat  was  lowered,  manned,  armed,  and  sent  on  board  the 
schooner,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Bloss.  He  met  with  no  resistance, 
took  the  prize,  ran  her  oft'  near  the  Nautilus,  left  some  of  his 
men  on  bjard,  and  returned  with  the  vessel's  papers  and  five 
prisoners.     She  was  the  blockade-runner  Fanchon,  of  Mobile, 


A    NAVAL   .STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  123 

1)ouik1  liome,  one  day  out  from  Havana,  with  a  cargo  of  salt, 
soda-ash,  dry  goods  and  aguardiente,  and  the  very  craft  that 
liad  so  impudently  hoisted  the  Confederate  flag  over  her  deck- 
load  of  cotton,  as  she  sailed  jauntily  into  Havana,  when  the 
Nautilus  came  out.     Revenge  again  was  sweet. 

Mr.  Bloss  reported  that  the  prize  was  well  supplied  with 
provisions,  water,  instruments  and  charts,  and  there  was  no 
necessity  of  taking  anything  aboard  except  bedding.  It  was 
getting  squally  and  dark,  so  Careswell  and  a  crew  of  five  men, 
well  armed  and  equipped,  with  the  rebel  cajjtain  and  mate  as 
prisoners,  were  hastily  transferred  to  the  schooner.  Orders  to 
take  her  into  Key  West  and  report  to  the  Prize  Commission- 
ers and  the  Admiral  were  handed  to  CareswelT  by  Captain 
Prescott,  as  he  passed  through  the  gangway  and  down  into  the 
cutter.  In  a  few  minutes  he  was  on  board  the  schooner,  sur- 
rounded by  the  crew,  the  unwelcome  prisoners,  the  bedding, 
the  carbines  and  their  accoutrements.  The  men  in  charge 
were  quickly  embarked  in  the  cutter;  the  officer  said  "  Good 
night!  Bon  voyage!"  and  returned  to  the  Nautilus.  Before 
Careswell  had  an  opportunity  to  make  a  single  observation  of 
the  condition  of  the  craft  and  her  outfit,  his  ship  had  disap- 
peared in  the  darkness,  and  he  found  himself  forsaken  upon  a 
little  vessel  of  untried  qualities,  in  the  midst  of  rising,  threat- 
ening seas  and  violent  squalls  of  wind  and  rain.  His  heart 
sank,  and  he  stood  irresolute  upon  the  spray-washed  deck, 
looking  out  into  the  darkness  where  the  Nautilus  had  van 
ished. 

Squall  succeeded  squall  all  night,  and  the  rain-drops  rushed 
in  regiments  and  battalions  against  the  faces  and  forms  of  those 
who  kept  watch  aboard  the  Nautilus,  until  the  morning  sun 
shamed  Neptune  out  of  countenance  and  stilled  the  angry 
tumult.  The  ship  had  buffeted  the  seas  and  rolled  heavily 
all  night,  and  the  uneasy  sleepers  awoke  to  the  rushing  sounds 
of  the  storm  and  shuddered,  when  they  thought  of  the  fate  of 
the  Fanchon  and  of  those  who  had  been  so  hastily  abandoned. 
The  course  was  changed  in  the  morning,  and  an  attempt  was 
made  to  find  the  little  schooner,  but  no  trace  of  her  could  be 
discovered,  and,  in  the  afternoon,  the  ship  turned  around  and 
pursued  her  course  along  the  coast  to  the  eastward,  while  the 


12  4  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

officers  and  men  talked  in  sorrowful  tones  of  the  good  quali- 
ties of  their  messmates  who  had  gone  to  Davy  Jones'  locker. 

During  the  next  few  days,  a  French  frigate  was  spoken, 
bound  for  Vera  Cruz ;  a  small  schooner  was  overhauled,  which 
hoisted  the  Sardinian  flag  and  proved  her  right  to  its  protec- 
tion, and  several  American  vessels,  with  proper  clearance  pa- 
pers, were  boarded  and  allowed  to  proceed  upon  their  voyages. 
The  Xautilus  then  ran  into  Havana  and  dropped  anchor  in 
her  former  anchorage;  a  little  Spanish  midshipman,  with  a 
star  upon  his  cap  front,  came  aboard  and  presented  the  com- 
pliments of  the  Spanish  admiral  and  offers  of  assistance;  the 
American  consul  sent  off  a  bag  of  letters,  and  Captain  Pres- 
cott  received  an  order  to  return  to  Key  West.  The  anchor 
was  immediately  weighed  and  the  ship  put  to  sea  in  the  after- 
noon, and,  the  next  day,  five  days  from  the  separation  from 
the  Fanchon,  she  arrived  at  Key  West  and  anchored  near 
Fort  Taylor.  The  prjze  was  not  to  be  seen ;  she  had  not  been 
heard  from,  and  all  gave  her  up  for  lost. 

A  strong  breeze  was  blowing  from  the  southwest,  the  white- 
capped  waves  were  chasing  each  other  madly  across  the  harbor, 
the  pilot-boats  were  scudding  under  bonnetless  jibs  and  single 
reefed  mainsails  in  the  offing,  and  boats  had  trouble  in  landing 
at  the  wharves.  Away  in  the  northwest  channel  near  the 
light-house,  four  or  five  miles  from  the  Key,  a  small  vessel 
lay  at  anchor  waiting  for  high  tide.  Several  vessels  were  an- 
chored near  her,  fishing  or  waiting  for  deeper  water,  and  there 
was  nothing  about  her  to  attract  particular  attention.  At 
noon  her  anchor  was  weighed,  her  sails  were  set  one  by  one, 
and  she  began  to  beat  up  the  channel.  Nearer  and  nearer  she 
came,  all  her  sails  recklessly  spread,  her  rail  under  the  waves 
half  the  time,  and  the  water  foaming  under  her  bow  from 
her  great  speed. 

The  contrast  between  her  broad  spread  of  canvas,  and  the 
snngly  reefed  vessels  around  her,  attracted  attention  to  her 
from  persons  afloat  and  ashore,  and  the  quartermaster  and 
some  of  the  officers  of  the  Xautilus  watched  her  closely  with 
glasses,  but  could  not  make  out  who  was  on  board,  because 
she  had  cleared  the  channel  and  was  bearing  down  head  on  for 
the  Nautilus.  She  came  onwards  rapidly,  rounded  the  stern 
of  the  Nautilus,  came  up  head  to  wind  with  everything  shiver- 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR,  125 

ing,  and  drojiped  anchor  near  the  shore,  before  those  on  board 
the  man-of-war  liad  seen  the  stars  and  stripes  above  the  stars 
and  bars,  floating  from  the  main  peak,  and  Careswell  at  tlie 
hehn.  When  surprise  had  turned  to  exultation,  the  crew  of 
the  Nautilus  crowded  the  hammock  nettings  and  rigging  and 
gave  three  rousing  cheers,  which  were  repeated  by  the  men  of 
the  other  U.  S.  vessels  and  answered  by  the  crew  of  the  Fan- 
ohon.  Then  a  great  crowd  gathered  upon  the  shore  and 
cheered ;  the  news  of  the  safe  arrival  sjiread  like  fire  through 
the  town,  and  the  whole  population  came  down  and  took  a 
look  at  the  little  craft  that  had  weathered  such  a  wild  strtrm. 

Careswell  delivered  the  Fanchon  to  the  Prize  Court,  trans- 
ferred his  prisoners  to  Colonel  Gordon,  in  Fort  Taylor,  and 
returned  with  liis  men  to  the  Nautilus,  where  they  were 
received  with  the  greatest  enthusiasm  and  demonstrations  of 
aflfection.  After  a  day's  rest  and  recuperation,  he  related  his 
adventures.     He  said  : 

"I  never  felt  so  desolate  and  homesick  as  I  did  when  the 
Nautilus  disappeared  in  the  darkness,  but  the  feeling  was  only 
momentary,  for  the  movements  of  the  vessel  and  the  rushing 
of  the  storm  told  me  I  must  work,  if  I  wished  ever  to  see  dry 
land  again.  I  ordered  the  bedding  and  arms  put  below  in  the 
little  cabin,  took  the  helm  myself,  gave  orders  for  shortening 
sail,  and  kej)t  the  vessel  in  the  wind  and  head  to  the  sea.  The 
bonnet  was  taken  out  of  the  jib,  the  foresail  furled,  and  a 
close  reef  put  in  the  mainsail.  The  men  worked  lively,  as 
there  were  several  Cape  Cod  sailors  aboard  who  knew  all  about 
schooners,  but  the  running  gear  was  out  of  order,  there  was 
trouble  in  finding  things  in  the  darkness,  and  the  seas  were 
sweeping  right  across  the  forward  |)art  of  the  vessel.  In  the 
emergency,  the  ])risoners  offered  their  servi(!es  with  an  appear- 
ance of  good  will,  though  actuated  by  sinister  motives,  and 
the  cajjtain  said, '  I  will  look  after  the  main  reef-earing, as  it  is 
not  in  its  proper  place.'  It  was  necessary  for  him  to  pass  be- 
hind me,  where  I  stood  at  the  helm,  in  order  to  reach  over  the 
rail  out  u|)on  the  boom,  and  he  stepped  back  and  began  to 
fumble  at  the  rope.  Suddenly  I  felt  a  strong  tug  at  my  Colt's 
revolver,  which  was  strapped  in  its  frog  on  my  sword-belt  and 
hanging  over  the  back  part  of  my  right  hip.  Fortunately  the 
strap  held,  I  grasped  the  handle  of  the  pistol,  struck  the  cap- 


126  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

tain's  hand,  and  turned  around  upon  liim.  He  busied  himself 
again  with  the  reef-earing,  apparently  not  noticing  me.  I 
drew  my  revolver,  cocked  it,  ordered  him  and  liis  mate  for- 
ward of  the  foremast  in  the  drenching  seas  and  kept  them 
there. 

"  I  called  Sylvester,  the  young  man  whom  you  remember 
as  the  first  one  to  go  aloft  to  secure  the  foretopsail  yard,  when 
it  broke  loose  from  the  mast,  in  the  gale  we  had  near  the  Ba- 
hamas, in  whom  I  had  implicit  confidence,  and  told  him  what 
had  happened.  He  said  lie  had  noticed  the  two  prisoners 
talking  together  in  a  low  voice,  and  had  his  suspicions  that 
they  had  some  sort  of  an  understanding  with  the  Dago,  the 
Portuguese  half-breed,  whom  we  had  taken  along  for  cook. 
I  concluded  the  attempt  to  seize  my  pistol  had  I.cen  premedi- 
tated ;  that,  had  it  been  accomplished,  the  captain  was  to  give 
a  signal,  perhaps,  by  shooting  me  and  others;  the  other  two 
men  were  to  rush  into  the  cabin  and  seize  the  arms,  and  then 
the  remainder  of  the  crew  were  to  be  driven  overboard  or 
shot.  In  the  darkness  and  disorder  aboard,  the  plan  could 
have  been  executed  easily,  because,  if  Sylvester  and  I  had 
been  shot,  the  other  men,  without  a  leader,  would  have  fallen 
easy  victims  to  the  pirates.  Tiie  plot  failed  by  the  holding  of 
a  narrow  leather  strap  and  button. 

"  I  told  Sylvester  (hat  he  and  I  must  remain  aft  and  take 
turn  about  in  steering,  watching  and  sleeping.  I  informed  the 
three  other  American  sailors,  that  the  prisoners  and  the  Dago 
could  not  be  trusted  ;  that  they  should  keep  a  sharp  lookout 
upon  their  actions  day  and  night,  have  their  revolvers  ready 
for  instant  use,  and  remain  upon  the  top  of  the  cabin  aft  as 
much  as  possible,  particularly  at  niijht.  I  took  the  revolvers 
of  the  Dago  and  the  young  sailor,  Gardner;  kept  one  myself, 
and  gave  the  other  to  Sylvester.  I  instructed  Gardner  to 
attend  the  forecastle,  to  keep  his  eyes  upon  the  Dago,  espe- 
cially when  he  was  cooking  the  meals,  and  to  prevent  by  liis 
])resence,  as  much  as  possible,  any  private  conversation  between 
him  and  the  prisoners.  I  told  the  crew  that  Sylvester  was  to 
act  as  executive,  and  his  orders  must  be  obeyed,  and  instructed 
him  not  to  allow  any  one  to  go  down  into  the  cabin  where  the 
arms  were  upon  any  pretense.  Sylvester  and  the  three  other 
sailors  were  all  Northern  men,  who  perceived  the  gravity  of 


A    XAYAL   STORY    OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  127 

tlie  situation,  appreciated  the  confidence  I  reposed  in  them, 
and  relieved  me  of  much  anxiety  by  their  vigilance  and  hearty 
co-operation. 

"The  gangway  to  the  cabin  served  as  a  binnacle;  a  cheap 
box-compass  was  placed  upon  one  of  the  steps,  and  a  lantern 
was  hung  on  a  nail  opposite  to  illumine  it.  The  little  craft 
pitched  fearfully;  the  seas  knocked  her  about  like  a  feather 
and  half  buried  her  occasionally;  the  rain  came  down  heavily, 
and  all  I  could  do  was  to  keep  her  head  to  the  seas  to  ease  her, 
and  as  close  to  the  wind  as  she  would  lie.  During  a  heavy 
lurch,  the  compass  and  lantern  broke  loose,  tumbled  down 
upon  the  cabin  floor  and  were  broken,  leaving  us  in  darkness, 
without  anything  to  indicate  the  course.  All  hands  were  kept 
on  watch;  everybody  was  wet  and  miserable;  the  vessel's  bow 
pitched  into  the  seas  frightfully,  and  there  was  two  feet  of 
water  in  the  hold,  which  increased  steadily  in  spite  of  two 
men  working  constantly  at  the  pumps.  The  vessel  was 
trimmed  too  much  by  tlie  head,  and  I  asked  the  captain  about 
the  stowage  of  the  cargo.  He  said  the  forward  part  of  the 
hold  was  full  of  soda-ash  in  casks,  the  midships  contained  the 
salt  in  bags,  and  the  aguardiente  and  dry  goods  were  in  and 
around  the  cabin.  A  hasty  survey  through  a  bulkhead  in  the 
cabin  showed  the  salt  greatly  diminished  by  the  water  in  the 
vessel.  It  was  being  dissolved  and  pumped  overboard  ;  the 
after  part  of  the  vessel  was  being  lightened,  and  the  heavier 
cargo  forward  was  pressing  the  bow  under  water.  Still  nothing 
could  be  done  to  alter  the  stowage  in  such  a  storm,  and  we 
watched,  waited  and  hoped  for  morning  and  milder  weatlier, 
in  greater  anxiety  now  that  we  knew  the  true  condition  of 
affairs  below. 

"  It  was  a  long  and  anxious  night,  but  the  sun  came  at  last 
to  dry  our  clothes  and  cheer  us,  the  sea  went  down  gradually, 
a  fire  was  started  in  the  galley,  and  coffee  and  hard-tack  were 
served.  The  coffee  had  a  foul  odor  and  taste  and  no  one  could 
drink  it.  Gardner  had  watched  its  preparation  and  was  sure 
that  nothing  but  coffee,  sugar  and  water  had  been  jiut  in  the 
pot.  The  water  was  examined  and  found  as  filthy  as  sewage. 
It  was  in  a  cask  that  had  held  aguardiente,  and  had  a  putrid, 
sickening  taste  difficult  to  imagine.  If  the  coffee  was  undrink- 
able,  the  water  w-as  more  so,  and  there  was  no  other  beverage 


128  CRUISIXCr   AXD    BLOCKADIXG. 

aboard  but  fiery  Spanish  rum.  This  was  a  great  disappoint- 
ment, because  there  is  nothing  so  greatly  relished  by  sailors  as 
the  early  pot  of  coffee,  and  it  was  hard  to  do  without  it  after 
the  exposure  and  fatigue  of  the  night.  We  were  well  water- 
soaked  and  not  very  thirsty,  so  concluded  we  could  do  with- 
out water  until  the  short  run  of  175  miles  was  made  to  Key 
West. 

"  About  three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  the  sea  had  become 
smooth  enough  to  make  it  safe  to  take  off  the  hatches,  and 
most  of  the  water  in  the  hold  had  been  pumped  overboard  ; 
so  I  set  the  men  to  work  under  Sylvester's  supervision,  had 
the  soda-ash  stowed  amidships  and  the  remainder  of  the  salt 
placed  forward  of  it,  thus  lightening  the  bow  of  the  vessel, 
bringing  the  stern  down  into  the  water,  and  fixing  her  in  ex- 
cellent trim  for  sailing.  The  bonnet  was  bent  on  the  jib,  the 
foresail  hoisted,  the  reef  shaken  out  of  the  mainsail,  the  gaff- 
topsail  set,  the  deck  cleared  up  generally,  and  we  went  bowl- 
ing along  right  merrily  and  felt  quite  comfortable.  The  pro- 
visions were  of  the  coarsest  and  meanest  kind,  and  the  only 
bread  we  had  was  the  bag  of  hard-tack  brought  from  the  Nau- 
tilus, but  we  could  endure  privations  for  the  glory  of  taking 
in  a  prize,  and  only  longed  for  a  good  drink  of  water.  There 
was, 

'Water,  water  evervwliere,  and  not  a  drop  to  drink,' 

because  the  nauseous  contents  of  the  rum-cask  we  could  not 
call  water,  much  less  drink  it. 

"The  men  were  divided  into  watches  which  wei'e  set  at  6 
o'clock.  I  took  the  starboard  watch  from  six  till  midnight; 
placed  the  rebel  captain  and  Gardner,  as  lookouts  forward, 
and  let  Sylvester  and  the  port  watch  get  some  sleep.  Sylvester 
took  the  helm  and  the  port  watch,  with  one  of  the  sailors  and 
the  rebel  mate  on  lookout,  from  midnight  till  six  o'clock  in 
the  morning.  The  lazy  Dago  was  permitted  to  sleep  all  night 
among  his  pots  and  pans  in  the  little  galley  behind  the  fore- 
mast, but  the  trusted  men  slept  upon  the  top  of  the  cabin 
where  they  would  be  ready  in  an  emergency.  A  pleasant 
breeze  from  the  westward  drove  us  on  our  course;  the  night 
jmssed  uneventfully,  and  everybody  felt  rested  and  refreshed 
in  the  morning.  Only  our  thirst  began  to  be  troublesome,  and 
we  were  obliged  to  drink  some  of  the  filthy  water  to  assuage 


A   ^AVAL   STORY    OF   THE   LATE   WAR,  129 

it,  for  we  coukl  not  bear  the  coffee.  I  had  an  opportunity  to 
examine  my  orders  and  accompanying  papers,  which  liad  been 
wet  through  in  my  coat  pocket,  and  had  remained  there  un- 
opened till  this  time.     The  orders  read  as  follows : 

'  U.  S.  Steamer  Nautilus, 

Off  the  Island  of  Cuba, 

June  ]3th,  I86-. 
'Sir: 

'  Proceed  witli  the  Prize  Schooner  Fanchon  nnfler  j-oiir  charge  to  the 
port  of  Key  West,  and  there  deliver  lier,  to]s;etlier  witli  the  accorupanyins; 
papers  (wliich  are  all  that  were  found  on  board)  and  the  persons  retained 
as  witnesses,  to  the  Judge  of  the  U.  S.  District  Court  or  to  the  U.  S.  Prize 
Commissioners  at  tliat  place,  taking  his  or  their  receipt  for  the  same.  You 
will  not  deliver  lier,  the  papers,  or  the  witnesses,  to  the  order  of  any  other 
person  or  parties  unless  directed  to  act  otherwise  by  the  Navy  Department 
or  Flag-Officer  commanding  the  Squadron.  * 

'  The  Fanchon  was  seized  by  this  vessel,  under  my  command,  on  the  13(h 
day  of  June,  186-,  ofl"  the  Island  of  Cuba,  for  violating  the  rules  governing 
the  blockade  at  present  instituted  by  the  United  States;  and,  of  the  circum- 
stances attending  the  case,  you  are  sufficiently  aware,  and  will  communi- 
cate them  when  required  to  do  so  by  competent  authority. 

'On  your  arrival  at  Key  West,  and  immediately  after  you  have  visited 
the  Judge  or  Prize  Commissioners,  you  will  call  upon  the  U.  S.  District 
Attorney  thereat,  show  him  these  instructions,  and  give  him  any  informa- 
tion concerning  the  seizure  he  may  solicit.  Then  you  will  next  report 
yourself  in  person  to  the  Commanding  Officer  of  the  Navy  Y'ard  thereat, 
show  him  also  these  instructions,  and  ask  his  directions,  when  needed,  as  to 
the  disposition  of  yourself  and  the  rest  constituting  the  prize  crew.  Finally, 
when  duly  notified  by  the  Judge,  Prize  Commissioners,  or  District  Attor- 
ney, that  your  services  are  no  longer  wanted  by  the  Court,  you  will  at  once 
return  to  your  vessel,  taking  with  yon  the  men  under  your  command  and 
the  receipt  above  alluded  to,  unless  otherwise  ordered  by  superior  authority. 

'You  will  receive  herewith  a  communication  for  the  Secretary  of  the 
Navy,  giving  him  a  detailed  account  of  the  seizure.  This  you  will  mail 
immediately  on  your  arrival  at  Key  West. 

'Your  attention  is  called  to  the  annexed  'Circular,'  lately  issued  from 
the  Navy  Department,  to  which  have  been  added,  since  it  was  issued,  the 
words  in  the  last  paragraph,  beginning  with,  'together  with  a  descri])tive 
list,'  etc. ;  which  you  will  see  is  complied  with,  in  every  particular,  before 
sailing  with  your  prize. 

'  Very  respectfully,  your  obedient  servant, 

Amasa  Prescott, 

Commander. 
Commanding  U.  S.  Steamer  Nautilus.' 

'  To  Ensign  Harry  Carkswell. 

U.  S.  Navy.' 

"Statements  of  the  men's  accounts  alluded  to  in  the  *  Cir- 
cular,' the  Fanchou's  papers,  a  letter  to  the  Secretary  of  the 


130  CKUISIJs'G   AND   BLOCKADING. 

Navy  and  another  to  Admiral  Bailey,  accompanied  the  orders. 
It  was  jilainly  my  duty  to  get  to  Key  West,  but  with  only  the 
sun  and  stars  to  steer  by,  the  course  could  only  be  approxi- 
mated. I  had  set  my  watch  by  the  ship's  chronometer  before 
leaving  the  Nautilus,  and,  as  it  was  getting  towards  eight 
o'clock,  I  prepared  to  take  a  time  sight  for  longitude.  What 
was  my  chagrin  to  find  nothing  but  an  old  fashioned  quadrant 
with  no  screw  to  fasten  the  index  and  vernier  scale.  I  took 
several  sets  of  sights,  holding  the  index  with  my  fingers,  and 
worked  them  up  carefully.  The  first  series  placed  us  in  the 
longitude  of  the  Azores ;  the  second,  in  that  of  Texas.  I 
tried  several  times  and,  in  sj)ite  of  the  utmost  care,  could  not 
get  correct  altitudes  of  the  sun.  It  was  just  as  difficult  at 
meridian.  The  latitude  from  my  observation  was  that  of  New 
York.  Time  sights  at  four  o'clock  were  equally  erroneous, 
and  I  gave  up  in  disgust  and  threw  the  *  pig-yoke'  into  a 
bunk  below. 

"  If  there  had  been  no  sails,  we  could  liave  made  some  out 
of  clothing  and  i)agging;  if  no  rudder  or  spars,  we  could 
have  fashioned  rude  ones  from  the  top  works  of  the  schooner  ; 
but  without  compass  courses  from  which  to  work  up  the  dead 
reckoning,  without  a  g.ood  instrument  to  take  altitudes  and 
determine  the  latitude  and  longitude,  scientific  sailing  was  out 
of  the  question.  I  knew  the  swift  currents  of  the  Gulf  would 
carry  us  to  the  eastward,  and,  with  only  the  heavenly  bodies 
to  help  us  guess  at  a  course,  the  chance  of  making  a  straight 
run  for  Key  West  was  slight.  I  knew  we  could  reach  the 
line  of  keys,  extending  from  Florida  to  the  Tortugas,  some- 
where, and  the  schooner  was  kept  due  north  all  day  and  night, 
still  not  a  sign  of  land. 

"Tlie  bedding,  clothing  and  arms  were  dried  during  the 
day;  the  revolvers  and  carbines  were  fired  off,  cleaned  and 
reloaded;  the  hold  was  pumped  dry,  and  some  necessary  re- 
pairs were  made  to  the  vessel's  running  rigging.  The  watches 
were  kept  in  regular  man-of-war  fashion,  during  the  second 
nigiit  and  afterwards,  and  nothing  broke  the  monotony  of  the 
summer  sailing  until  six  o'clock  the  second  morning,  when  I 
was  awakened  by  a  cry  of  'Sail  ho!' 

"  '  Where  away  ?'  asked  Sylvester. 

'* '  Four  points  on  the  port  bow,  sir !' 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  131 

"  I  was  up  in  a  moment,  and  made  out  with  a  glass  a  small 
schooner  standing  to  the  southward.  She  was  jnst  the  size, 
shape  and  general  appearance  of  a  blockade-runner,  and  I 
determined  to  overhaul  her  for  two  reasons:  I  wished  to  get 
some  fresh  water,  and  I  hoped,  if  she  was  a  dodger,  to  eapture 
her  and  take  in  two  prizes  instead  of  one,  though  this  was  not 
in  my  orders. 

"  The  Fanchon  was  brought  to  the  wind  and  the  sails 
trimmed  on  the  port  tack,  which  made  her  head  nearly  for  the 
sti-anger.  The  latter  kept  on  her  course  until  she  was  only 
two  miles  distant,  and  we  could  see  an  unusual  number  of 
men  upon  her  deck ;  then,  when  she  had  probably  made  out 
our  few  blue-jackets,  the  course  was  changed,  her  sails  were 
trimmed  on  the  starboard  tack,  and  she  began  to  run  away 
from  us.  We  tacked  ship,  crowded  all  sail  in  pursuit,  and 
got  the  carbines  up  from  below  ready  for  a  fight  if  necessary. 
The  difficulties  of  navigating  to  Key  West,  the  treachery  of 
the  prisoners,  and  the  disloyalty  of  the  Dago,  were  all  forgot- 
ten for  a  time,  and  every  effort  was  luade,  by  trimming  the 
sails  and  wetting  them  with  buckets  of  salt-water,  to  get  the 
greatest  speed  possible  out  of  the  Fanchon.  She  skimmed 
over  the  water  and  dashed  into  the  moderate  seas  like  a  sport- 
ive sea-gull,  and,  for  a  time,  it  seemed  she  was  gaining  upon 
the  chase,  but,  on  board  the  stranger,  the  people  were  watchful 
of  the  sails  and  steering,  and  her  admirable  movements  excited 
our  approbation  and  envy. 

"  A  stern  chase  is  generally  a  long  one,  and  it  became  evi- 
dent towards  noon,  that  the  vessels  were  well  matched  and  the 
result  of  the  race  would  be  doubtful.  I  thought  I  would  try  a 
ruse,  so  I  had  the  Confederate  flag  hoisted  to  the  main  truck, 
where  it  could  be  plainly  seen  by  those  aboard  the  fleeing 
vessel.  Though  it  was  kept  flying  an  hour,  no  notice  was 
apparently  taken  of  it.  It  was  then  hauled  down  and  the 
stars  and  stripes  run  up  in  its  place.  This  did  not  have  the 
desired  effect,  but  the  flag  was  kept  aloft  till  sunset. 

"Slowly  and  surely  the  unsociable  schooner  drew  away 
from  us ;  she  was  five  or  six  miles  off  at  dark,  when  we  gave 
up  the  chase  and  tacked  ship  to  the  northward.  A  whole  day 
had  been  lost  in  a  futile  effort ;  we  were  now  farther  away 
from  port  than  ever,  and  felt  deeply  chagrined  at  being  beaten. 


lo2  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

Even  the  rebel  ca|)tain  liad  taken  nuich  interest  in  the  affair, 
perhaps,  thinking  a  fight  might  give  him  a  chance  to  snatch  a 
weapon  and  win  back  liis  vessel.  The  night  was  clear  and 
starry  ;  the  men  slept  abont  the  deck  comfortably  notwith- 
standing tlie  dampness,  and  the  Fanchon  made  an  excellent 
rnn  which  continned  all  the  next  day.  We  noticed  before 
dark  the  next  night  that  the  water  was  changing  color ;  the 
deep  blue  had  become  a  yellowish-green,  but  no  bottom  was 
found  by  a  cast  of  the  lead  at  fifteen  fathoms.  The  vessel 
was  kept  about  northeast;  the  flying  jib  and  gaff-topsail  were 
taken  in  and  furled,  and  everybody  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for 
land.  A  light  was  seen  at  ten  o'clock,  and,  at  twelve,  the 
white  walls  of  a  fortification,  which  I  knew  from  its  appear- 
ance must  be  Fort  .Jefferson,  on  the  Dry  Tortugas,  were  plainly 
in  sight.  It  was  dangerous  to  cruise  in  these  unknown  waters 
without  compass  and  bearings,  so  I  kept  the  vessel  to  the 
northward  under  easy  sail  till  four  o'clock,  and  then  tacked 
and  ran  back,  with  the  intention  of  calling  at  the  settlement 
for  water,  a  compass  and  sextant.  No  land  was  in  sight  at 
daylight,  nor  at  noon,  and,  believing  the  current  had  swept 
us  past  the  islands  to  the  eastward,  and  the  wind  having 
changed,  the  course  was_  made  due  east,  and  we  went  along 
lively.  Several  small,  wooded,  uninhabited  keys  were  seen 
in  the  afternoon,  none  of  which  looked  like  the  one  we  were 
in  search  of,  but  we  approached  the  larger  one  in  order  to  get 
some  water,  and,  at  five  o'clock,  ran  ashore  upon  a  snowy  bank 
of  coral  sand. 

"I  had  an  anchor  taken  off  immediately  into  deep  water 
and  tried  to  kedge  the  vessel  off  the  bank,  but  could  not,  and 
the  tide  went  down  and  left  us  fast.  Fortunately  the  wind  fell 
and  the  water  became  smooth,  so  that  the  vessel  did  not  pound 
any.  I  sent  the  boat  away  to  the  keys  for  water,  but  she  vq- 
turned  without  any.  This  was  a  bitter  disappointment  to  all. 
The  men  reported  that  the  islands  were  mere  piles  of  sand, 
covered  by  starving  shrubs  and  mangrov^e  trees,  and  contain- 
ing central  lagorms  of  salt  water. 

"The  water  in  the  casks  had  grown  steadily  worse  bv  ex- 
posure to  the  sun,  and  the  lapse  of  time.  Eating  salt  provi- 
sions, washing  in  salt-water,  breathing  salt  air,  sprinkled  by 
salt  spray,  blistered  by  the  fierce  heat  of  the  sun,  exposed  to 


A    XAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  133 

the  wind  day  and  night,  and  depressed  by  anxiety  and  loss  of 
sleep,  our  thirst  had  become  overpowering,  and  we  had  been 
obliged  to  drink  the  filthy  fluid.  It  had  early  caused  nausea 
and  diarrhoea,  and,  to  mitigate  the  evil,  I  had  broached  one 
of  the  casks  of  aguardiente  and  mixed  it  sparingly  with  the 
water.  This  compound  was  unsatisfactory,  iri-itating  and  ag- 
gravating. It  quenched  tliirst  for  a  time,  only  to  increase  it 
tenfold  later.  It  checked  the  diarrhoea,  but  burned  our  very 
vitals.  It  gave  a  buoyancy  and  support  to  our  flagging  ener- 
gies, but  fevered  our  blood  and  scorched  our  brains.  We  were 
conscious  of  our  responsibilities,  but  moved,  acted  and  thought 
in  a  mild  delirium.  Things  around  us  took  fantastic  shapes; 
the  islands  seemed  to  rise  and  fall  in  the  mist  of  evening  ; 
the  trees  appeared  like  dark  spectres,  stretching  out  their  arms 
to  seize  us;  the  line  leading  away  to  the  hedge  anchor  looked 
like  a  monstrous  sea-serpent,  wriggling  and  writhing  towards 
us;  the  shallow  waves  became  tongues  of  flame,  chasing  each 
other  restlessly  onwards ;  the  gentle  ripples  along  the  vessel's 
side  and  under  the  stern  sounded  harsh  and  discordant;  the 
footfalls  upon  the  deck  smote  the  oars  like  the  blows  of  a 
sledge-hammer,  and  the  fall  of  an  oar  made  a  sound  like  a 
clap  of  til  under. 

"  Ever  and  anon  a  school  of  fish  would  rush  into  the  shal- 
lows around  the  vessel  and  spatter,  clatter  and  beat  the  water, 
until  it  shone  like  a  shower  of  diamonds  in  a  flash  of  sheet 
lightning;  a  floundering  turtle  of  gigantic  size,  would  crawl, 
flop  and  swim  over  the  white  sand,  seeming  like  a  nightmare, 
until  he  worked  into  deeper  water;  a  dark  triangular  fin 
would  cut  the  surface  of  the  water  like  a  razor,  and  a  long, 
slim,  treacherous  shark  steal  by  without  a  sound,  and  make 
us  shudder  at  the  thought  that  he  might  soon  be  tearing  our 
flesh  down  in  a  coral  cave,  surroun<led  by  waving  sponges. 
The  prisoners,  fearful  of  our  revolvers,  and  suffering  and 
sympathizing,  made  no  more  suspicious  or  seditious  move- 
ments. 

"  The  night  was  bright  with  stars  that  winked  as  if  in 
mockery  of  our  misery,  and  it  was  only  by  a  supi'eme  effort 
of  the  will  that  we  could  shake  off  the  illusions  of  our  over- 
wrought and  fevered  senses  and  keep  from  going  mad.  Sick 
in  body  and  mind  ;  far  from  human  help;  not  knowing  with 


134  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

certainty  which  way  to  go;  with  ouly  the  heavenly  bodies  to 
guide  us,  and  our  vessel  hard  and  fast  ashore,  it  was  enough 
to  try  strong  souls  and  cause  despair.  I  think  some  of  us 
prayed  a  little,  but  not  aloud.  Still  hope  did  not  forsake  us, 
and  energy  and  courage  kept  us  though  that  dreadful  night. 

"When  the  clouds  seemed  darkest,  the  silver  lining  shone; 
the  white  sails  of  a  vessel  were  seen  in  the  distance,  and  the 
rattle  of  her  cable  told  us  she  had  come  to  anchor.  I  sent 
three  men  with  a  cask  in  the  boat  for  fresh  water,  and  they 
returned  before  midnight  with  an  ample  supply  of  what  seemed 
to  us  the  most  delicious  beverage  in  the  world.  The  captain 
and  several  men  from  the  schooner,  which  was  a  turtler,  came 
on  board  soon  after,  and  I  made  an  arrangement  with  him  to 
lighten  the  Fanchon  and  help  get  her  afloat,  provided  we 
could  not  warp  her  off  the  next  high  tide.  .  He  informed  me, 
to  my  great  surprise,  that  we  were  ninety  miles  east  of  Key 
West.  He  said  the  currents  along  and  between  the  Tortugas 
and  the  different  keys  were  rapid,  and  it  required  considerable 
experience  to  estimate  them.  When  we  had  stood  to  the 
northward  of  Tortugas  and  then  run  back  south  to  find  the 
islands,  the  strong  easterly  current  had  struck  the  vessel  upon 
the  broadside,  and  swept  her  east  almost  as  fast  as  she  had 
gone  ahead.  When  I  fhought  we  were  sailing  south,  we  were 
going  southeast,  and  had  been  carried  beyond  Key  West,  prob- 
ably in  the  early  morning.  This  explained  the  mysterious 
disappearance  of  the  Tortugas  from  the  face  of  the  waters  and 
our  non-success  in  reaching  port. 

"  I  shall  always  have  respect  for  turtlers.  If  I  had  not 
met  this  honest  captain,  I  should  probably  have  followed  the 
line  of  keys  around  the  coast  of  Florida  and  perhaps  lost  the 
vessel.  I  thanked  him  heartily  for  his  information;  gave  hira 
a  demijohn  of  the  Cuban  fire-water  and  some  Havana  cigars, 
and  he  went  aboard  his  own  vessel. 

"There  was  a  high  tide  and  spanking  breeze  early  in  the 
morning,  and,  to  our  great  joy,  we  succeeded  in  getting  the 
Fanchon  afloat,  and  shaped  our  course  for  Key  West.  We 
reached  the  light-house  at  dark  and  attempted  to  beat  up  the 
channel  according  to  the  indications  of  a  miserable  chart, 
feeling  the  water  with  the  lead,  but  we  nearly  ran  aground 
several  times,  and  at  last  considered  it  .safer  to  anchor  for  the 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  135 

night.  In  the  morning  the  anchor  was  down,  when  we  saw 
the  Nautilus  creep  in  past  Fort  Taylor  and  come  to  anchor.  I 
knew  you  would  give  us  up  for  lost  and  concluded  to  surprise 
you.  You  know  the  rest.  Here  I  am,  with  tawny  hands 
and  a  peeling  nose,  hungry  as  a  wolf  for  all  the  good  things 
of  the  wardroom  mess." 

Everybody  agreed  the  experience  was  unique  and  ])erilous. 
Careswell  had  to  repeat  the  story,  with  modifications,  explana- 
tions and  embellishments,  to  the  people  of  Key  West,  and  the 
ladies  greeted  him  with  their  sweetest  smiles  and  best  cakes 
and  wines.  Madam  Fontana  called  him  a  hero,  and  Laura 
looked  upon  him  with  admiration,  but  had  little  to  say.  They 
were  in  the  garden  one  afternoon  looking  at  a  Victoria  Regia, 
that  Madam  had  nursed  carefully  into  full  bloom.  It  was 
growing  in  a  tank  of  water;  its  large,  lustrous  green  leaves 
floated  around  the  snowy  petals  of  this  most  magnificent  flower 
in  the  world. 

"How  pure  and  sweet!  How  grandly  beautiful  it  is!" 
ejaculated  Careswell  in  his  enthusiasm. 

"Yes,  Lientenant,"  Madam  said,  "you  can  appreciate  it 
and  express  sentiment  over  it,  but  most  of  the  people  about 
town  think  I  was  foolish  to  spend  so  much  time  and  labor  in 
bringing  it  to  perfection.  They  say,  '  it  will  last  but  a  few 
days,  then  what  is  the  gain?'  My  northern  education  has 
just  destroyed  my  patience  with  some  of  these  people.  I  long 
for  the  society  of  those  who  appreciate  beautiful  things,  who 
like  art,  music  and  literature." 

"  I  think  I  understand  your  feelings,"  said  Careswell.  "  My 
mother  was  fond  of  flowers,  and  had  a  garden  that  attracted 
and  deserved  admiration.  When  I  was  a  boy,  I  had  to  do  a 
stint  of  weeding  and  digging  every  day  before  going  to  play. 
She  considered  flowers  the  glory  of  the  earth,  and  always  in- 
sisted upon  their  elevating  and  ennobling  influence.  Those 
who  do  not  admire  flowers  have  little  taste  for  the  refinements 
of  life,  and  flowers  may  therefore  be  made  touchstones  for 
testing  individuals." 

"  I  love  flowers,"  said  Laura  timidly. 

"Yes,  my  dear,  I  know  you  do,"  said  Madam,  "you  know 
there  are  exceptions  to  all  rules.  We  are  speaking  of  the 
masses.     Mr.  Bloss  loves  flowers,  does  he  not,  Lieutenant  ?" 


136  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

"  Certainly.  He  has  the  red  rose  you  gave  him,  pressed  in 
his  diary." 

Alachim  looked  pleased  at  this  evidence  of  remembrance, 
and  said,  "  Why  does  he  not  come  ashore  oftener  ?" 

"  I  think  he  is  not  very  well." 

"Not  well  ?  Then  I  must  send  him  some  guava jelly.  It 
is  delicious  when  one  has  not  much  appetite." 

"Thank  you.     He  will,  no  doubt,  appreciate  it." 

"I  wondered  why  he  did  not  come  to  see  my  lily." 

"Which  one?"  said  Careswell,  looking  at  Laura. 

"  Oh,  the  Victoria,  of  course.  Lilies  do  not  last  forever, 
and  this  one  already  begins  to  show  signs  of  decay.  Look  at 
those  little  spots  on  this  snowy  leaf.  See  how  rusty  they  are. 
In  a  short  time  this  pretty  white  will  be  shrivelled  brown, 
and  I  must  remove  the  blossom  to  save  the  strength  of  the 
plant." 

"  Well,  I  shall  tell  Mr,  Bloss  to  come  immediately." 

Clearly  ]\Iadam  was  much  interested  in  Mr.  Bloss.  It  was 
not  so  certain  that  Bloss  cared  much  for  Madam.  A  day  had 
been  set  for  the  ladies  to  visit  the  Nautilus,  but  she  had  gone 
to  sea  before  the  time.  Careswell  now  appointed  another  day 
and  then  took  leave.  When  he  arrived  on  board,  he  learned 
that  the  ship  was  to  saiTat  daylight  for  Charlotte  Harbor,  and 
he  was  therefore  obliged  to  send  his  regrets  and  f\ire wells 
ashore  by  letter. 


A    XAVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  137 


CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Nautilus  got  underway  at  daybreak ;  steamed  slowly 
up  the  coast,  and,  the  next  day,  arrived  and  came  to  anchor  in 
Charlotte  Harlwr  upon  the  west  coast  of  Florida. 

A  great  number  of  islands  of  all  shapes  and  sizes  lie  along 
this  coast  of  Florida.  The  passages  between  these  islands 
make  an  extensive  network  of  inland  waters,  navigable  by 
small  craft,  and,  with  the  numerous  broad,  shallow  rivers  in 
the  main  land,  furnish  muddy  homes  for  thousands  of  alli- 
gators, and  gave,  in  war  times,  countless  hiding  places  for 
l)lockade-runners.  It  was  the  boast  of  the  men  engaged  in 
blockade-running  from  this  region,  that  they  could  pole  their 
vessels  all  the  way  inland  around  Florida  until  they  reached 
the  latitude  of  Nassau,  when  they  could  run  across  to  British 
waters  in  one  night. 

The  islands  are  composed  of  sand  and  the  muck  of  vegeta- 
ble decomposition ;  they  are  covered  by  stunted  growths  of 
mangrove,  pine,  cypress,  palmetto  and  lime  trees,  and  many  of 
them  contain  pools  of  brackish  water  and  swamps  in  the  inte- 
rior. The  islands  and  coast  are  little  above  sea  level,  and  the 
tide  sweeps  through  all  the  passages  and  up  all  the  rivei's  for 
many  miles.  Charlotte  Harbor  is  land-locked  by  these  islands. 
It  is  in  reality  a  beautiful  bay  eight  to  ten  miles  wide  and 
twenty-five  miles  long.  Pease  Creek  enters  its  head,  a  narrow 
passage  leads  south  and  receives  the  great  Caloosahatchie,  and 
its  principal  outlet  is  towards  the  west.  The  rivers  are  broad, 
shallow,  muddy  and  sluggish.  Their  bottoms  are  a  slimy 
ooze,  furnishing  no  support  for  the  feet,  and  their  banks  are 
the  homes  of  voracious  alligators,  so  that  fording  was  danger- 
ous and  alost  impossible. 

There  were  few  inhabitants  in  this  part  of  Florida  during 

the  war.     An  old  Italian  refugee,  named  Salvini,  lived  with 

his  son  and  daughter  upon  Pine  Island  to  the  south,  and  a 

Mr.  Bruno  and  wife  had  a  small  clearing  upon  the  adjacent 

10 


138  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

main  land.  Tliey  claimed  to  be  Union  refugees  and  were 
supplied  by  the  naval  vessels  with  regular  rations.  Being  tar 
from  Confederate  recruiting  officers,  they  were  very  friendly 
and  instructed  the  officers  how  to  fish  and"  hunt  and  were  very 
hospitable  to  visitors.  They  did  considerable  bartering  with 
the  sailors,  exchanging  corn,  sweet  potatoes,  melons,  lemons, 
limes  and  venison,  tor  coffee,  sugar,  salt,  flour,  hard-bread, 
clothing  and  tobacco.  There  were  few  people  along  the  banks 
of  the  Caloosahatchie.  Fort  Myers,  tiie  old  defence  against 
the  Indians,  twenty-five  miles  up  the  river,  with  its  stockade, 
block-house-s,  barracks,  officers'  quarters  and  hospital,  was  de- 
serted and  in  ruins.  The  large  fish-curing  house  and  wharf 
near  tiie  mouth  of  the  river,  belonging  to  a  Connecticut  com- 
pany, were  in  a  fair  state  of  preservation,  though  unprotected 
by  their  owners;  numberless  coons  were  running  boUlly  along 
the  river's  banks,  and  flocks  of  curlew  were  piping  shrilly  about 
the  marshes. 

There  were  a  few  families  residing  upon  clearings  away  from 
the  banks,  far  up  Pease  creek,  and  a  small  guard  of  "Florida 
Regulators,"  having  two  field-pieces,  was  camjied  behind  a 
rude  earth-work  upon  the  right  bank  at  the  junction  of  the 
stream  with  the  head  waters  of  the  bay. 

Many  wild  cattle  roamed  over  the  meadows;  red  deer  darted 
about  in  the  forests;  coons  rushed  in  packs  from  place  to  place; 
sea  turtles  crawled  up  the  sandy  beaches  to  lay  their  eggs ;  land 
turtle,  called  gophers,  dragged  slowly  over  the  sandy  soil  from 
hole  to  hole;  black  and  green  snakes  wriggled  in  the  tall 
marsh-gra.ss;  alligators  sunned  upon  the  mud  flats,  or  floated 
with  only  their  noses  out  of  water;  pelicans  flew  in  long  lines 
across  the  bay  to  roost  upon  the  mangroves;  blue  and  black 
herons  flapped  lazily  from  shallow  to  shallow,  or  stood  in 
silent  astonishment  ar  tlie  appearance  of  man,  and  clouds  of 
pink  and  white  curlew  fed  upon  the  marshes  and,  at  night, 
whitened  the  trees  along  the  shores  of  the  islands.  There 
were  myriads  of  snipe,  scarlet  flamingoes,  marsh-hens,  quail, 
plover,  pigeons,  ducks,  blackbirds,  sliags,  boobies,  quacks, 
gulls,  owls,  eagles  and  mocking  birds.  Muscles,  quahaug  and 
oysters  were  plentiful  on  the  island  banks;  tiger  and  shovel- 
nosed  shark.s,  porpoises,  .saw-fish,  jew-fish,  skate,  sheeps-head, 
cat-fish,  toad-fish,  sand-fish,  red-fish,  red  grouper  and  mullet, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OP   THE    LATE    WAR.  139 

made  the  waters  of  the  bay  fairly  alive  with  flashing  fins  and 
glittering  scales. 

Charlotte  Harbor  was  a  paradise  for  sportsmen,  and  the 
officers  of  the  Nautilus  had  little  to  do,  but  watch  the  chan- 
nels by  night  and  fish  and  hunt  by  day.  A  single  draught  of 
the  seine  would  feed  the  whole  crew  a  day,  and  two  hunters 
could  shoot  enough  curlew  in  an  evening  to  give  all  hands 
pot-pie  for  breakfast.  There  was  only  one  dangerous  animal 
in  this  Eden — it  was  the  mosquito.  Tropical  heat  develops 
the  harmless  hundred-legs  of  the  North  into  the  venomous 
centipeile.  The  moist,  warm  climate  of  Florida  changes  the 
mosquito  into  a  demon  of  persecution.  It  augments  his  size, 
elongates  and  sharpens  his  instrument  of  torture,  increases  the 
virulence  of  his  venom,  and  elevates  his  musical  hum  to 
clarion  tones.  It  was  necessary  to  close  up  the  bunks  with 
nettings  and  to  seek  for  each  intruder  with  a  club.  The 
wardroom  after  dark  sounded  as  if  it  contained  a  liliputian 
brass-band;  the  lamps  were  clogged  with  victims;  the  deck 
was  so  thronged  that  tlie  insects  struck  against  the  face  like 
rain  drops,  and  the  sand  beaches  were  covered  by  clouds  of 
voracious  blood-suckers.  Before  measures  had  been  taken  for 
protection,  the  suffering  from  mosquitoes,  when  there  was 
little  wind,  was  almost  unendurable.  Officers  and  men  climbed 
about  in  the  boats,  tops  and  cross-trees,  vainly  seeking  escape 
and  needed  sleep.  Some  men  were  nearly  smothered  beneath 
head  wrappings  and  improvised  tents;  others  dressed  in  com- 
plete suits  of  oil-clothes  or  rubber,  and  a  few  covered  their 
faces  and  hands  with  petroleum  and  shrouded  themselves  in 
tobacco  smoke.  The  loss  of  sleep  made  the  men  unfit  for  duty ; 
discipline  was  relaxed,  and  the  daily  drills  were  for  a  time 
suspended. 

The  Nautilus  had  been  ordered  to  the  Florida  coast  to  relieve 

temporarily  the  sloop-of-war  R ,  which  sailed  for  home 

the  next  day  after  her  arrival.  The  rebels  at  Tampa  Bay  had 
been  sending  expeditions  to  Pease  creek  and  Charlotte  Harbor 
to  forage  and  to  capture  refugees  and  man-of-war's-men. 
They  had  already  caught  several  refugees  from  the  main  land 
and  shot  them  as  deserters.  They  were  guarding  the  creek, 
protecting  blockade-runners  while  discharging  and  loading 
cargoes,  and  accompanying  them  in  force  until  they  were  well 


J  40  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

started  upon  their  voyages.  It  was  supposed  that  there  were 
many  boats  and  some  vessels  far  up  the  creek ;  that  there  were 
depots  of  cotton  and  stores  in  houses  back  in  tlie  woods;  and 
that  an  old  Indian  fort  at  the  forks  of  the  creek  was  held  by 
a  small  force,  in  frequent  communication  with  the  fortified 
works  at  the  head  of  the  bay. 

It  was  resolved  to  strike  a  blow  at  the  Florida  Regulators, 
who  were  not  regularly  enlisted  men,  and,  therefore,  did  not 
expect  quarter  nor  give  any.  They  were  mostly  cattle-drivers, 
who  knew  every  foot  of  the  country,  and  were  supplied  with 
fleet  horses.  It  would  have  been  madness  to  have  followed 
them  into  the  forests  and  attacked  them  where  they  chose 
to  make  a  stand.  It  was  necessary  to  go  up  the  river  in  boats 
in  order  to  clean  it  out,  and  the  service  was  particularly  dan- 
gerous, because  the  bush-whackers  could  shield  themselves  by 
bushes  and  trees  and  have  the  sailors,  crowded  in  a  small  space, 
at  a  disadvantage. 

It  was  reported  by  a  refugee,  who  came  down  to  the  ship  in 
a  dug-out,  about  a  week  after  the  arrival  of  the  Nautilus,  that 
a  sloop  up  the  creek  was  nearly  loaded  with  cotton  and  getting 
ready  to  sail  for  Nassau.  One  of  the  cutters  was  manned, 
armed  and  equipped,  and  sent  in  charge  of  Master  Sanborn  to 
reconnoitre  and  blockade  the  mouth  of  the  creek.  The  next 
afternoon,  the  boat  returned  with  two  men  wounded,  which 
caused  considerable  excitement  aboard  the  Nautilus,  as  this 
was  her  first  real  war  casualty. 

JNIr.  Sanborn  reported  that  he  had  reached  the  head  of  the 
bay  after  dark  and  laid  at  anchor  in  the  mouth  of  the  creek 
all  night  without  seeing  or  hearing  anything  of  the  enemy. 
Just  before  daybreak  he  landed  ujwn  the  point  of  what  he 
supposed  was  an  island  near  the  right  bank  of  the  river  to 
make  cotfee  and  dry  the  clothes  of  the  men,  wet  by  a  light 
shower.  He  posted  four  men  on  picket  across  the  point,  two 
hundred  yards  inland,  and  left  two  in  charge  of  the  boat,  while 
the  remainder  proceeded  to  make  a  fire  and  cook  breakfast. 
Nothing  happened  till  ten  o'clock  to  disturb  the  comfort  of  the 
bivouac,  and  Sanborn  was  congratulating  himself  that  he  had 
found  a  secure  hiding-place  for  his  boat  during  the  day,  when 
the  coxswain  of  the  boat,  who  had  strolled  out  near  the  picket 
line,  called  to  him  that  one  of  the  pickets  wanted  to  see  him. 


A    KAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  141 

He  went  out  immediately,  after  ordering  the  men  to  take 
their  rifles  and  gather  near  a  clump  of  bushes.  The  land  be- 
yond the  jiickets  was  covered  by  tufts  of  grass  and  small 
bushes,  and  beyond  these,  there  was  a  meadow  of  tall  grass. 
The  picket  reported  that  he  had  seen  cattle  moving  about  in 
the  latter,  and  that  they  were  approaching  the  camp.  San- 
born used  his  marine  glasses  and  caught  occasional  glimpses 
of  dark  forms  which  he  decided  were  horses.  He  reasoned 
quickly  that,  if  these  were  horses,  their  riders  were  with  them, 
and,  as  there  was  not  a  stump  nor  tree  upon  the  point  for 
shelter,  it  would  be  better  to  embark  and  get  out  of  range  as 
soon  as  possible.  He  moved  the  pickets  within  fifty  yards  of 
the  boat;  ordered  them  to  fire  upon  the  first  ap|)earance  of  an 
enemy,  and  set  the  coxswain  to  getting  everything  into  the 
boat  as  soon  as  possible.  This  was  soon  accomplished;  the 
j)ickets  were  called  in,  and  sturdy  arms  soon  sent  the  Iwat  over 
the  water,  just  as  twenty  men,  each  one  leading  his  horse, 
came  obliquely  over  the  sand  hill  and  discharged  a  volley  of 
rifle  balls  and  buckshot  after  her.  Their  weapons  were  poor 
and  their  aims  hasty,  but  two  of  the  sailors  received  slight 
wounds,  one  in  the  shoulder  and  the  other  in  the  groin.  Four 
men  were  kept  at  the  oars  and  the  remainder  of  the  crew  fired 
their  Sharp's  rifles  and  soon  drove  the  enemy  from  the  hill, 
killing  one  horse  and  wounding  two  of  the  riders,  one  mor- 
tally. There  was  nothing  to  be  gained  by  remaining  in  the 
region  during  the  day,  and  Sanborn  had  returned  aboard  for 
the  sake  of  the  wounded.  The  affair  showed  lack  of  discre- 
tion in  Sanborn,  in  landing  and  building  a  fire  that  would  by 
its  smoke  betray  his  position,  l)iit  no  one  doubted  his  courage, 
and  he  was  complimented  upon  his  management  in  bringing 
his  men  away  withoiK  serious  loss. 

Everybody  was  full  of  revengeful  feelings  and  wanted  to 
have  a  chance  at  these  Florida  Regulators,  as  was  abundantly 
proved  when  Lieutenant-commander  Felton  had  the  officer-of- 
the-deck  pass  the  word  forward  by  the  boatswain's  mate : 
"All  who  wish  to  volunteer  for  an  expedition  lay  aft  to  the 
mainmast!"  The  whole  crew%  boys  and  men,  cooks,  stewards 
and  petty  officers,  came  in  a  hurrying  crowd,  each  anxious  to 
be  first  accepted.  A  careful  selection  of  tried  and  experienced 
men  was  made  for  two  boats ;  the  first  and  second  cutters  were 


142  CRUISING    AND    BI.OCKADI^"U. 

provisioned  and  armed ;  Ensign  Careswell  and  Midshipman 
Edgewood  were  ordered  to  take  command,  and  instructions 
Avere  given  them  to  lie  iu  the  channels  and  capture  any  boats 
or  vessels  that  might  appear.  Mr.  Weston,  a  refugee  from  the 
region,  was  taken  as  a  pilot,  the  boats  cleared  away  with  three 
cheers  from  the  ship,  spread  their  sails  and  at  dark  w^ere  far 
up  the  bay. 

Careswell  stationed  Edgtwood's  boat  in  a  channel  behind 
the  islands  to  the  sontli,  and  anchored  his  own  in  the  entrance 
of  the  creek.  The  camp-fire  of  the  rebel  guard  upon  the  right 
bank  was  seen  with  men  moving  about  it,  but  nothing  hap- 
})ened  to  di.-tiub  the  serenity  of  the  night,  except  the  occasional 
jumping  of  a  fish  out  of  water  and  the  splashing  of  alligators 
along  the  muddy  shores.  Before  daylight  the  boats  Avere 
pulled  to  a  small,  wooded  island,  drawn  well  into  the  weeds, 
and  covered  with  l>ranches  of  trees,  while  the  crews  made  a 
camp  back  among  the  mangroves,  and  a  lookout  was  sent  into 
the  top  of  a  tall  pine.  Loud  sounds  were  not  permitted  and 
the  day  passed  uneventfully.  The  boats  were  anchored  out  at 
night  as  before,  and  tiie  next  day  was  spent  in  the  snug  retreat 
upon  the  island.  The  third  evening,  Careswell,  Edgewood 
and  Weston  discussed  the  situation,  and  concluded,  as  the 
sloop  had  not  appeared,  they  would  go  up  river  and  find  her. 
The  oars  and  rowlocks  were  wound  with  strips  of  canvas  to 
nniffle  their  sounds;  the  arms  were  carefully  examined,  and, 
at  eight  o'clock,  a  long  course  was  pulled  down  the  bay  and 
around  to  the  right  shore  below  the  guard  at  Fort  Winder,  in 
order  that  they  might  ascend  the  stream  in  the  shadow  of  the 
bank. 

Cautiously  and  quietly  the  boats  crept  along,  the  oars  not 
making  much  more  noise  than  the  ripples,  and  the  dark 
shadows  of  the  bank  and  trees  enveloping  them  in  obscurity. 
They  passed  the  fort  at  the  mouth  of  the  river  so  near  that  the 
voices  of  the  men  around  the  camp-fire  were  heard,  and  went 
onwards  hour  after  hour,  struggling  against  a  strong  current, 
and,  with  rifles  in  hand,  scrutinizing  anxiously  every  stump, 
bush  and  prominent  tree  along  the  bank.  A  dozen  times  were 
rifles  cocked  and  revolvers  grasped  to  fire  at  some  compact 
bush  or  decaying  stump,  that,  in  the  general  apprehension  of 
danger,  took  the  rough  semblance  of  a  man.     An  image  passed, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  143 

all  felt  relieved  and  half  ashamed  of  their  fears,  but  the  next 
suspicious  object  excited  them  again.  It  was  a  new  experience 
for  all  aboard  the  boats.  They  were  men  who  had  been  bred 
to  arms  and  were  ready  to  face  any  danger,  yet,  they  shrank 
from  this  exposure  in  open  boats  to  a  fire  from  a  concealed  foe. 
The  uncertainty  of  where  and  when  they  might  be  attacked  ; 
the  ignorance  of  the  country  and  the  forces  along  the  river;  the 
silence  maintained  aboard,  and  the  deep  darkness  along  the 
shore,  all  added  to  the  general  uneasiness. 

Careswell's  boat  led  the  advance,  and,  in  the  struggle  with 
the  current,  the  other  boat  dropped  far  behind.  Suddenly,  in 
turning  a  bend  in  the  river  about  ten  miles  from  its  mouth,  a 
fire  was  seen  ujion  Hickory  Bluff,  on  the  right  bank,  and  men 
were  moving  around  it.  The  boat  was  stopped  and  Careswell 
and  the  pilot  held  a  consultation.  It  was  decided  to  wait 
awhile  for  the  other  boat  before  proceeding.  After  a  delay  of 
half  an  hour,  the  boat  not  appearing,  they  pulled  cautiously 
along  to  reconnoitre  and  soon  discovered  a  sloop  anchored  in 
the  stream  about  a  luindred  yards  from  the  bank.  The  people 
ashore  were  evidently  having  a  jollification.  They  were  eating, 
drinking,  dancing,  laughing  and  singing,  and  their  movements 
could  be  plainly  seen  by  all  aboard  the  cutter.  Weston  said 
it  was  customary  for  friends  and  a  guard  to  accompany  a  vessel 
down  to  this  place,  and  have  a  good  time  with  the  crew  just 
before  sailing.  He  thought  there  were  not  many  aboard  the 
sloop,  and  that  the  officers  and  men  were  in  the  crowd  around 
the  camp-fire. 

Careswell  resolved  to  take  the  sloop  without  waiting  for 
Edgewood.  Four  men  were  kept  at  the  oars  and  ordered  to 
remain  in  the  boat  with  the  pilot;  the  rest  were  detailed  by 
Careswell  to  follow  him  aboard  the  vessel  with  rifles  in  hand. 
The  boat  was  run  along  the  outer  side  of  the  sloop,  thus  mak- 
ing her  a  bulwark  for  protection  from  a  fire  from  shore,  and 
Careswell,  with  revolver  in  hand,  sprang  upon  the  deck  of  the 
vessel  followed  by  the  men.  Not  a  man  was  on  deck.  Cares- 
well rushed  to  the  cabin  gangway,  pushed  back  the  slide, 
opened  the  doors  and  shouted,  "  Come  up  out  of  there!"  A 
negro  rushed  up,  ran  his  woolly  head  against  the  cold  muzzle 
of  Careswell's  revolver,  dro])ped  on  his  knees  upon  the  stairs 
and  cried  in  piteous  tones:  "Mercy!  Massa!  Mercy!  Lord  'a 


144  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

mercy  !  Don't  shoot,  Oh,  Massa  Linkum,  dou't  shoot !  Massa 
Linkura,  don't  shoot  a  poo'  nigger!" 

"  Tell  me  the  truth  then  and  I  will  spare  you,"  said  Cares- 
well  sternly. 

"Yes,  massa!  Oh  don't  shoot,  massa!  I'll  tell  de  whole 
truf." 

"  Is  there  anybody  else  aboard  this  vessel  ?" 

"  No,  Massa.'' 

"  Where  is  the  crew?" 

"  On  shore,  Massa,  sayin'  Good-bye  to  de  women  folks." 

"How  many  men  are  there?" 

"  There's  Captain  Money,  and  Massa  Brown,  and  Massa — " 

"Never  mind  their  names.     How  many  are  there?" 

"  Five,  Massa." 

"  Who  else  is  on  shore?" 

"De  women  folks,  Massa." 

"Who  else?" 

"  Some  ob  de  regerlaters." 

"  How  many  men  altogether  ?" 

"Dunno,  Massa,  spects  'bout  fourteen." 

"Have  they  guns?" 

"  Yes,  Massa," 

"  What  is  the  name  of  this  vessel  ?" 

"De  Record,  Massa." 

"  What  have  you  aboard  ?" 

"Eight  and  a  half  bales  ob  cotton  and  some  pertaters, 
Massa." 

"Have  you  any  guns?" 

"  Yes,  Massa,  seberal  rifles  an'  shot  guns." 

"  Where  are  they  ?" 

"  In  the  cabin,  Massa." 

"  Very  well,  get  into  that  boat  and  keep  quiet  and  you  shall 
not  be  hurt." 

The  poor  darkey  was  ash  color;  he  trembled  for  some  time 
violently,  and  watched  everybody  anxiously. 

Careswell  took  the  helm  ;  onlered  two  men  to  slip  the  rope 
cable  and  hoist  the  jib,  and  the  remainder  to  lie  down  upon 
the  deck.  The  rattle  of  the  hanks,  as  the  jib  ran  up  the  stay, 
made  a  noise  that  was  heard  ashore,  and  then  only  the  rebels 
discovered  that  something  was  wrong  aboard  the  sloop.     Sev- 


A    KAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  145 

eral  yelled,  "Here  you  nigger!  what  yon  doin'  thar?"  No 
answer  was  returned,  but  the  jib  was  hoisted  and  drawn  over 
to  windward,  there  being  a  light  breeze  off  shore.  The  keel 
of  the  vessel  just  scraped  the  muddy  bottom ;  she  payed  off 
very  slowly,  and,  for  a  few  anxious  moments,  it  was  a  question 
whether  she  could  be  floated  off.  The  mainsail  was  quickly 
hoisted ;  a  few  puffs  of  stronger  air  came  opportunely  and 
turned  the  sloop  faster;  she  swung  off  into  deeper  water,  and 
began  to  move  towards  the  middle  of  the  stream.  In  the 
mean  time,  the  crew  upon  the  bank  had  rushed  into  a  small 
boat  and  started  to  paddle  out  to  the  sloop,  but  when  they  saw 
the  heavy  mainsail  hoisted  so  quickly,  they  knew  the  negro 
was  not  alone  in  running  away  with  the  sloop,  and  went  ashore 
again.  Then  the  whole  party  opened  fire  with  rifles  and  shot- 
guns upon  the  receding  vessel,  and  the  bullets  and  buckshot 
sang  through  the  air  and  whistled  across  the  sloop's  deck, 
cutting  the  rigging  and  wounding  several  men.  Coxswain 
Wilcox  was  shot  in  the  neck  ;  seaman  Smith  got  a  bullet 
through  his  hand,  and  Careswell  received  a  slight  flesh  wound 
in  his  side.  The  men  were  now  ordered  out  of  the  cutter  and 
she  was  towed  astern.  Then  Careswell  shouted,  "  Now,  my 
lads,  give  it  to  them  !  Ijoad  and  fire  as  fast  as  possible,  and 
aim  low  !"  The  flash  of  ten  rifles  ansAvered  him,  and,  still 
holding  the  tiller,  he  emptied  his  Colt's  revolver  upon  the 
enemy.  The  shore  fire  ceased  immediately ;  the  camp-fire 
was  deserted,  and  the  rebels  rushed  to  the  cover  of  the  trees. 
A  few  more  volleys  were  fired  from  the  sloop,  then  the  com- 
mand was  given  to  cease  firing,  as  she  had  struck  the  strong 
current  in  the  middle  of  the  river  and  was  fast  getting  out  of 
range. 

The  Record  went  rapidly  down  river;  the  wounds  were 
dressed,  and  a  sharp  lookout  was  kept  for  the  missing  boat. 
Fort  Winder  was  passed  safely  before  daylight,  a  good  run 
was  made  down  the  bay,  and  the  sloo])  was  brought  to  anchor 
near  the  Nautilus  late  in  the  afternoon.  Nothing  had  been 
seen  of  Edgewood's  boat.  Her  disappearance  was  incompre- 
hensible. 

Careswell  and  his  men  were  congratulated  heartily  upon  the 
success  of  the  expedition ;  the  two  wounded  seamen  were 
placed  in  snowy  cots  down  in  the  sick-bay  and  tenderly  cared 


146  CEUISJKG    AND   BLOCKADING. 

for  by  Dr.  Willett  and  his  assistants  :  the  arms  were  cleaned, 
and  the  cutter  was  prepared  for  an  immediate  return  to  the 
liead  of  the  bay  in  search  of  the  missing  boat.  Every  one 
felt  anxious  for  her  safety,  as  the  country  was  aroused  by  the 
capture  of  the  sloop,  and  it  was  feared,  not  knowing  this, 
Edgewood  might  go  on  up  river  in  search  of  the  first  cutter 
and  meet  with  disaster.  Careswell  said  nothing  about  his 
slight  wound,  and  insisted  uj)on  his  right  to  go  in  charge  of 
the  boat,  though  the  captain  was  inclined  to  send  Mr.  Bioss. 
A  call  was  made  for  volunteers.  Every  one  of  the  previous 
crew,  except  the  wounded  men,  came  aft  and  was  accepted, 
and  the  vacancies  were  filled  by  selecting  two  men  from  the 
dozens  who  offered  their  services.  The  boat  got  away  at  four 
bells,  and  reached  the  head  of  the  bay  about  nine  o'clock. 
The  right  shore  was  searched  to  Fort  Winder,  then  the  boat 
was  pulled  across  to  the  left  bank  of  tiie  creek,  where  there 
was  a  wharf,  and  there  the  missing  cutter  lay,  with  ihe  whole 
crew  sound  asleep.  It  did  not  lake  long  to  awaken  them  and 
to  hear  their  e.^^planation.  They  had  pulled  against  the  cur- 
rent half  the  night,  but  not  seeing  anything  of  the  other  boat, 
concluded  it  had  been  passed  in  the  darkness  or  had  been 
captured,  as  they  heard  .the  firing  far  up  the  river,  and  had 
returned  to  the  wharf  on  the  safer  side,  where  they  had  kept 
guard  all  day,  until  overcome  by  fatigue,  even  the  man  left 
on  watch  had  succumbed  to  the  drowsy  god. 

Edgewood  and  his  men  were  much  chagrined,  when  they 
learned  that  the  sloop  had  been  cut  out  and  taken  down  to 
the  ship,  and  they  were  eager  to  proceed  up  the  river  and  wipe 
out  their  failure  of  the  previous  night.  Careswell  and  Weston 
thought  the  capture  of  the  sloop  and  her  sailing  down  the 
bay  would  lead  the  people  along  the  creek  to  think  the  object 
of  the  expedition  had  been  accomplished,  and  they  would  be 
off  their  guard,  so  that  a  further  exploration  might  be  made 
without  much  risk.  It  was  decided  to  go  up  the  river;  the 
muffling  of  the  oars  was  repaired,  and  the  boats  advanced 
cautiously  along  the  left  bank  until  near  morning;  theu  Wes- 
ton conducted  them  to  an  island,  where  they  were  pulled  up 
and  completely  covered  by  branches  of  trees,  and  a  camp  was 
formed  among  the  mangroves.  A  fire  was  started  immediately 
in  a  dense  thicket,  \\hich  prevented  its  light  being  seen  from 


A    KAVAL   STORY    OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  147 

the  shore,  and  thus  early,  because  the  men  were  suffering  for 
hot  coffee,  and  it  was  necessary  to  have  the  fire  out  and  the 
rising  smoke  dissipated  before  tlie  dawn,  otherwise  it  would 
attract  attention  to  the  hiding  j)lace.  Pickets  were  posted 
after  breakfast,  and  the  day  was  spent  in  rest  and  sleep.  The 
camp  was  broken  up  and  the  boats  were  manned  at  dark,  and 
the  ascent  of  the  river  was  continued  slowly  and  cautiously. 
When  they  came  to  a  branch,  one  boat  would  remain  at  its 
mouth,  and  the  other  go  up  to  its  landings  and  destroy  with 
axes,  sink  or  take  in  tow  all  the  boats  which  could  be  found. 
This  was  done  upon  both  sides  of  the  stream  by  the  boats' 
crews  in  alternation,  until  they  approached  Fort  Morgan,  the 
remains  of  an  old  Indian  fort,  situated  upon  a  point  of  land 
in  the  fork  formed  by  the  two  largest  branches  which  united 
to  make  the  creek.  This  was  considered  the  head  of  naviga- 
tion for  blockade-runners,  though  they  could  be  poled  up  the 
branches  and  half  over  the  peninsula  of  Florida  if  necessary. 
Here  they  were  loaded  with  cotton,  hauled  in  from  tlie  country 
upon  a  fairly  good  road.  A  guard  of  regulators  occupied  the 
log  houses  of  the  old  military  post.  The  point  Mas  firm, 
arable  land,  considerably  elevated  above  the  level  of  the  creek,- 
and,  therefore,  could  be  easily  defended  from  an  attack  by 
boats.  It  was  easily  reached  from  all  parts  of  the  adjacent 
country  by  boats  and  teams,  and  a  force  of  bush-whackers 
could  l)e  assembled  there  at  short  notice.  Weston  thought  it 
probable  there  might  be  several  vessels  by  the  bank  and  twenty 
or  thirty  men  guarding  them.  The  boats  were  run  in  to  a 
fallen  tree  and  the  plan  of  attack  was  determined. 

It  M'as  very  dark  along  the  river.  The  stars  were  veiled 
by  clouds.  The  gentle  night  breeze  hardly  stirred  the  mossy 
boughs  of  the  cypress  and  pine  or  the  l)road  leaves  of  the  pal- 
metto. Not  a  sound  w^as  heard  save  the  crackling  of  leaves 
and  sticks  beneath  the  feet  of  stealthy  animals,  and  the  occa- 
sional grunts  and  splashes  of  alligators.  The  officers  and  men 
examined  their  revolvers  and  rifles,  girded  their  sword-belts 
tighter,  and  piled  their  overcoats  beneath  the  seats.  The  two 
bow  oarsmen  in  each  boat  crouched  down  with  their  rifles 
ready;  the  officers  and  coxswains  grasped  their  revolvers,  and 
Careswell  gave  the  order,  "  Give  way  !"  The  boats  moved 
along,  Careswell  upon  the  right,  and  Edgewood  upon  the  left 


148  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

bank  of  the  river.  Careswell  ran  his  boat  up  the  right  branch 
two  hundred  yards  and  landed  liis  men  quietly,  leaving  three 
to  guard  the  boat ;  Edgewood  proceeded  up  tlie  left  branch 
the  same  distance,  landed,  and  left  three  men  with  his  boat. 
Unfortunately  one  of  the  men  let  his  oar  fall  upon  the  gun- 
wale, which  made  a  noise  that  was  heard  across  the  point. 
Then  both  landing  parties,  led  by  their  officers,  ran  in  single 
file  towards  each  other,  leaving  a  man  behind  every  ten  paces 
as  a  picket,  until  the  officers  met  and  exchanged  the  counter- 
sign, "  Lincoln."  Then  the  pickets  faced  the  log  huts  and 
advanced  upon  them,  gradually  closing  the  line  as  they 
marched,  and  the  fort  was  captured.  Not  a  man  was  seen, 
not  a  gun  was  fired.  The  camp-fire  was  a  bed  of  live  coals; 
the  rude  beds  upon  the  floors  of  the  cabins  were  warm  from 
their  recent  occupants;  men's  and  women's  clothing  was  scat- 
tered all  about;  provisions,  camp  utensils  and  ammunition, 
even,  were  abandoned  ;  all  indicated  the  recent  and  hasty  flight 
of  the  garrison.  There  was  not  a  bale  of  cotton  nor  a  vessel 
at  the  landing.  The  disappointment  and  chagrin  at  this  fruit- 
less and  bloodless  victory  were  universal.  The  clumsy  lubber, 
who  had  dropped  the  oar,  had  awakened  the  rebels,  and  they 
had  had  time  to  get  out  of  the  trap  set  for  them  before  the 
picket  line  had  been  completed.  They  were  far  up  the  road, 
and  pursuit  of  them  would  have  been  useless  and  dangerous. 
Tigers  fight  best  in  their  own  jungles. 

A  council  was  now  held  with  Edgewood  and  "Weston,  and 
the  latter  made  a  singular  proposal.  He  said,  "  Lieutenant,  I 
have  a  sister  living  up  the  road  about  a  mile  whom  I  am  very 
anxious  to  see.  I  have  heard  but  little  from  her  since  the  war 
commenced.  She  is  loyal  to  the  United  States,  and  can  give 
us  information  of  everything  in  this  section.  If  you  will  let 
me  have  two  men,  I  will  go  and  see  her  and  return  within  an 
hour.  I  know  all  the  cowpaths,  and  think  there  will  be  little 
danger  in  the  attempt.  If  we  are  discovered,  we  can  hold  a 
whole  company  back  with  these  excellent  arms.  These  fellows 
around  here  are  not  soldiers ;  though  they  are  good  shots  at  a 
deer,  they  are  afraid  as  death  of  the  crack  of  a  Yankee  gun." 

Careswell  and  Edgewood  were  much  astonished  at  this 
proposition.  They  could  not  question  Weston's  loyalty,  be- 
cause he  had  run  away  from  this  country  and  had  served  the 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  149 

naval  forces  well.  He  was  known  as  a  refugee  by  his  former 
neighbors,  and  his  life  would  last  only  while  they  were  hunt- 
ing a  rope,  should  he  be  captured  by  them.  He  knew  the 
danger  he  would  incur,  yet,  love  for  his  sister  and  a  desire  to 
serve  his  country  prompted  him  to  run  the  risk.  Careswell 
was  anxious  to  learn  if  there  were  any  more  vessels  up  the 
river,  and  his  sympathies  were  aroused  for  Weston,  but  he  was 
cautious  and  suspicious,  and  hesitated  to  give  his  consent  to  so 
desperate  an  undertaking.  He  did  not  like  to  order  two  men 
upon  a  perilous  mission  that  was  not  strictly  a  part  of  their 
duty.  While  he  was  considering  the  conflicting  impulses  of 
his  mind,  Carey,  the  coxswain  of  his  boat,  touched  his  cap  and 
said,  "I  will  go  with  him,  sir."  Then  several  other  men 
offered  their  services  and  tl)e  case  was  decided.  Carey  and 
Ferguson  were  ordered  to  accompany  Weston,  and  to  obey  all 
reasonable  and  proper  orders  from  him.  Careswell  was  still 
uneasy,  and  took  Carey  aside  and  said  to  him,  "  Keep  a  sharp 
lookout  upon  the  way  you  go,  so  as  to  be  able  to  find  your 
way  back  alone.  Keep  your  eyes  upon  Weston's  actions,  and, 
if  you  see  any  treachery  in  his  conduct,  shoot  him  immedi- 
ately;  then  return  here  as  quickly  as  you  can.  We  will  wait 
for  you."  The  countersign  "Lincoln  "was  given,  the  men 
passed  through  the  pickets  and  were  out  of  sight  in  a  moment. 

It  was  a  dreary  watch  that  night,  forty  miles  from  the  ship 
and  far  into  the  enemy's  country,  and  Careswell  made  the 
rounds  from  boat  to  boat  along  the  picket  line  several  times, 
anxious  and  impatient  at  the  slow  passage  of  time.  Once 
there  came  from  inland  the  deep  baying  of  hounds,  and  the 
melancholy  sound  served  to  make  the  night  more  dismal  and 
the  picket-guard  more  alert. 

"  What  is  the  time?"  asked  Edgewood  of  Careswell. 

"One  o'clock,  and  they  have  been  gone  an  hour." 

"  Halt !     Who  comes  there  ?"  called  a  picket  sharply. 

The  officers  drew  their  revolvers,  and  the  sharp  click  of 
cocking  rifles  was  heard  along  the  line. 

"  A  friend  !"  was  the  answer. 

"  Advance,  friend,  and  give  the  countersign  !" 

"Lincoln  !"  Weston  and  his  escort  passed  into  the  camp 
and  were  greeted  heartily. 

"  Lieutenant,  we  must  get  out  of  here  as  soon  as  possible," 


150  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING, 

said  Weston.  "  There  is  hard  riding  up  the  road.  A  mes- 
senger has  gone  to  Tampa  Bay  where  tliere  is  a  comjjany  of 
cavalry.  The  whole  country  will  be  alive  by  daylight,  and 
we  may  have  trouble  getting  out  of  the  river.  I  will  tell  you 
more  aboard  the  boat  " 

The  stores  and  ammunition  were  seized ;  the  fort  was  left 
as  it  had  been  found ;  the  pic^kets  were  marched  to  the  boats ; 
the  men  embarked  and  bent  to  their  oars,  and  they  were  soon 
going  down  river  at  a  lively  rate. 

Careswell  and  Weston  conversed  in  low  tones  for  some 
time.  Weston  said  there  were  no  blockade-runners  in  the 
creek  and  very  few  boats  of  any  kind  al)ove  Fort  Morgan. 
The  dozen  regulators,  wiio  had  l)een  in  the  fort,  had  retreated 
to  a  house  three  miles  back  from  the  landing.  The  whole 
country  had  been  excited  by  the  capture  of  the  sloop  in  home 
waters,  and  sixty  regulators,  comprising  all  the  active  men 
about,  had  been  notified  to  meet  at  Jackson's  plantation,  at  7 
A.M.  that  very  day  to  organize  and  settle  upon  some  plan  for 
more  effectually  guarding  the  river.  The  meeting  would  be  a 
failure,  because  most  of  the  boats  had  been  destroyed  or 
removed,  the  muddy  branches  were  full  of  alligators  and  could 
not  be  crossed  without  them,  and  it  would  take  many  days  to 
ride  around  their  head  waters.  Jackson's  plantation  was  two 
miles  below  the  fort  and  a  mile  and  a  half  back  from  the  river. 
It  was  a  place  of  storage  for  all  the  supplies  brought  into  that 
part  of  the  country  by  the  blockade-runners.  It  was  the 
headquarters  of  the  regulators,  and  a  rendezvous  for  all  the 
rough  riders  of  the  region.  There,  deeds  of  valor  were  related 
and  acts  of  treason  hatched  and  nourished.  Its  destruction 
was  justifiable  as  an  act  of  war,  and  it  would  be  a  fitting 
climax  to  the  expedition. 

Careswell  resolved  to  make  the  attempt,  and  was  encouraged 
by  the  ready  assent  of  Edge  wood  and  Weston.  The  seven 
captured  boats,  which  had  been  fastened  to  a  tree  upon  the 
bank,  were  towed  down  to  the  entrance  of  a  little  inlet  that 
led  to  Jackson's  landing,  passed  without  examination  in  going 
u])tlie  stream,  and  anchored  some  distance  off  shore.  The  two 
cutters  entered  the  inlet  and  their  crews  were  landed  quietly. 
A  large  boat  that  lay  high  up  the  bank  was  stove  with  axes. 
Five  men  were  left  in  charge  of  coxswain  Ferguson  to  guard 


A    Js^\VAT.   STOUY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  151 

the  cutters  and  protect  the  retreat,  "Nautilus"  was  given  as 
the  countersign,  and  seventeen  men  took  up  the  line  ot*  march 
along  a  miserable  road,  sometimes  in  water  a  foot  deep,  lead- 
ing through  tall  pine  trees  hack  to  the  clearing.  Careswell 
and  Weston  led  the  advance,  the  men  followed  in  single  file, 
keeping  a  shar[)  lookout  to  the  right  and  left,  and  Etlgewood 
brought  up  the  rear.  Just  before  reaching  the  opening,  the 
men  were  halted  and  the  plan  of  attack  was  explained.  Wes- 
ton and  six  men  were  detailed  to  surround  the  clearing  and 
let  no  person  escape;  Edgewood  and  four  men  were  ordered 
to  search  the  outbuildings,  ascertain  their  contents,  and  cap- 
ture any  person  found ;  and  Careswell  and  four  men  were  to 
enter  the  mansion,  seize  the  occupants  and  then  join  Edgewood. 
The  force  marched  on  again,  and  as  it  approached  the  clearing, 
three  bloodhounds  burst  down  the  road  and  were  beaten  back 
by  the  sailors'  cutlasses.  The  clearing,  perhaps  a  hundred 
yards  square,  was  reached  and  quickly  surrounded  by  the 
pickets;  the  remainder  of  the  force  ran  to  the  buildings  in  the 
centre.  Edgewood  entered  the  smoke-house  and  kitchen 
without  opposition,  took  three  men  prisoners  who  were  sleep- 
ing in  a  corner,  noted  the  quantity  of  provisions,  salt,  matches 
and  dry  goods  stored  within,  and  then  withdrew  his  men  to  the 
front  of  the  house.  Careswell  ordered  two  men  to  enter  the 
mansion  by  the  back,  and  he  with  two  men  went  in  at  the 
front  door.  The  doors  were  fastened  and  it  was  necessary  to 
force  them  open.  A  heavy  piece  of  timber  was  used  as  a  bat- 
tering-ram ;  the  front  door  flew  inwards,  and  Careswell  and 
his  men  rushed  immediately  into  the  dwelling  with  revolvers 
in  hand,  and  saw  by  the  light  of  a  bull's  eye  lantern,  carried 
by  one  of  the  sailors,  two  men  sitting  up  in  bed.  They 
reached  under  their  pillows  for  their  revolvers,  but  the  stern 
command  of  Careswell  to  get  out  of  bed  at  the  peril  of  their 
lives,  and  the  persuasion  of  three  revolvers  pointed  at  them, 
induced  them  to  surrender.  They  arose,  dressed,  and  were 
placed  with  the  other  prisoners  under  guard  of  two  men  upon 
the  edge  of  the  clearing  towards  the  boats. 

There  were  no  other  persons  at  the  plantation  ;  the  prisoners 
were  of  the  opinion  a  few  more  men  would  be  there  during 
the  day,  but  it  was  not  deemed  advisable  to  wait  for  them.  A 
few  revolvers  and  guns  were  taken  from  the  buildings  ;  two 


I'y2  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

horses,  discovered  under  a  shed,  were  turned  loose;  some 
women's  clothing  was  placed  in  trunks  and  left  in  the  road, 
and  Careswell  ordered  the  three  buildings  to  be  given  to  the 
Hames.  Edgewood  set  fire  to  the  two  log  outbuildings,  and 
Careswell  and  his  men  ignited  the  more  pretentious,  match- 
boarded  dwelling.  The  men  gathered  kindlings  and  a  quan- 
tity of  tallow  in  one  corner  and  set  fire  to  the  pile,  while 
Careswell,  impatient  at  the  delay,  lit  the  cotton  curtains  and 
straw  of  the  bed  with  a  candle,  anil  the  smoke  and  flames  soon 
drove  the  legal  incendiaries  out  into  the  night.  The  pine 
structures  and  their  contents  burned  furiously;  the  flames 
curled,  leaped,  crackled  and  shot  upwards  a  hundred  feet  in 
the  still  air;  the  light  illuminated  the  whole  clearing  like  the 
sun,  and  danced  upon  the  sun-browned  faces,  the  blue  uni- 
forms and  the  polished  arms  with  a  weird  glamour,  while  the 
men  stood  silent  and  awe-struuk  at  the  magnificent  spectacle. 
The  pickets  were  called  in  and  the  men  were  formed  in  the 
road  in  double  file  with  the  prisoners  and  Weston  ahead,  still 
no  order  was  given  to  march — every  face  was  turned  towards 
the  burning  buildings.  The  log  houses  were  pictured  in 
flames;  the  frame  of  the  dwelling  was  nearly  denuded  of  its 
covering,  and  still  spread  its  fiery  network  of  beams  across  the 
dark  background  of  pines.  Suddenly  a  column  of  flame  shot 
upwards;  a  loud  explosion  smote  upon  the  senses;  the  burn- 
ing timbers  flew  high  in  the  air  and  to  the  remotest  parts  of 
the  clearing,  and  not  even  the  foundations  of  the  house 
remained.  All  was  level  with  the  ground.  Careswell  looked 
at  the  prisoners  for  an  explanation.  They  said  a  magazine  of 
powder  beneath  the  floor  of  the  house  had  exploded. 

The  order  was  given  to  march  ;  the  boats  were  reached 
without  accident,  and  the  party  embarked  immediately.  The 
streaks  of  dawn  were  creeping  up  the  eastern  sky.  Fort 
Winder  was  still  below,  and  it  was  advisable  to  get  out  of  the 
river  as  soon  as  possible.  The  captured  boats  were  taken  in 
tow ;  the  men  bent  to  their  oars ;  the  boats  fairly  flew  down 
the  current,  and  before  daylight  were  past  the  fort  and  far  out 
in  the  bay.  The  guard  had  left  the  fort — at  least  there  were 
no  signs  of  life  about  it — and  had  probably  gone  to  swell  the 
martial  array  at  the  ruins  of  Jackson's  plantation.  Then  the 
sails  were  set,  vigilance  was  relaxed,  a  cold  breakfast  was 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  153 

eatoii,  the  breaker  was  tapped  and  a  tot  of  whiskey  served  to 
every  man,  not  forgetting  the  prisoners,  and,  with  story  and 
song,  the  day  was  spent  in  sailing  down  the  bay,  so  that  it  was 
dark  when  the  boats  drew  near  the  Nautihis. 

The  nine  boats  approaching  the  ship  made  a  formidable 
appearance. 

"  Boats  ahoy !"  came  the  sharp  hail  of  Mr.  Felton. 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !"  answered  Careswell,  the  usual  reply  of  a 
wardroom  officer  to  indicate  his  rank,  when  he  is  the  senior 
aboard  a  boat. 

"Keep  otf  or  I  will  fire  into  you !" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !"  was  the  reply. 

Careswell  and  his  comrades  were  astonished.  What  did 
this  rough  greeting  mean  ?  The  oars  backed  water  and  the 
boats  were  stopped. 

"  What  boats  are  those?"  Felton  asked. 

"Two  naval  cutters  and  seven  river  boats,"  Careswell 
answered. 

"How  many  men  are  there  aboard?" 

"Twenty-eight,  sir;  twenty -three  belonging  to  the  Nautilus 
and  five  prisoners  of  the  United  States." 

"  Very  well,  sir ;  you  can  come  alongside  in  the  cutter,  and 
leave  the  other  boats  in  charge  of  Mr.  Edgewood." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !" 

The  first  cutter  was  pulled  to  the  starboard  gangway,  and 
Careswell  climbed  up  the  ladder  and  stepped  gaily  down 
upon  deck.  He  touched  his  cap  to  Mr.  Felton  and  said,  "  I 
report  myself  aboard,  sii\"  He  noticed  that  Felton  had  his 
sword  on,  all  the  men  were  at  quarters,  and  the  guns  were  run 
out  and  depressed. 

"  You  will  report  to  the  captain,  sir,"  said  Felton  severely. 

"Aye,  aye,  sir!"  Careswell  walked  aft  where  Captain 
Prescott  stood,  saluted  him  and  said,  "  I  report  myself  and 
crews  returned,  sir !" 

The  captain  returned  the  salute  and  answered  sternly,  "  Con- 
sider yourself  under  arrest,  sir!     Go  to  your  room  !" 

Poor  Careswell  was  struck  dumb  by  this  extraordinary 
reception,  and  looked  for  comfort  at  some  of  the  officers  sta- 
tioned near,  but  all  maintained  a  cold  demeanor,  and  he  went 
down  to  his  room  with  an  aching  heart.  He  could  not  uu- 
11 


154  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

derstand  the  matter  at  all,  and  the  more  he  thought  over  it, 
the  more  he  was  puzzled.  He  heard  the  battery  secured,  the 
men  dismissed  from  general  quarters  and  the  boats  hoisted  up, 
but  the  wardroom  officers  did  not  come  below,  and,  weary  and 
wretched,  he  fell  into  a  feverish  sleep.  How  long  he  had 
slept,  he  did  not  know,  when  a  knock  at  his  door  awakened 
him.     "  Who  is  there  ?"  he  called. 

"  It  is  I,  the  doctor,"  was  the  reply.  "  Open  the  door,  I 
want  to  see  you." 

Careswell  leaned  out  of  his  bunk  and  turned  back  the  bolt. 
Dr.  Willett  came  in,  shook  hands  and  said,  "  My  dear  fellow, 
lam  glad  to  see  you  back  safe.  You  have  given  us  quite  a 
scare.  Here  is  something  you  must  take  right  away.  It's  a 
dose  of  quinine  and  whiskey.  You  can't  knock  around  in 
these  Florida  rivers  without  an  antidote  to  their  malaria. 
Drink  it  down,  and  then  I'll  open  this  bottle  of  sherry.  Y''ou 
poor  lad,  you  are  feverish  now."  The  doctor  passed  his  hand 
softly  over  Careswell's  forehead  and  then  felt  his  pulse.  Tears 
came  into  Careswell's  eyes,  and  a  choking  sensation  in  the 
throat  nearly  prevented  his  swallowing  the  potion.  The  doc- 
tor was  busy  drawing  the  cork  from  the  sherry  bottle.  He 
poured  out  half  a-  tumblerful  of  the  wine  and  handed  it  to 
Careswell,  saying,  "  There  !  that's  the  stuff  for  you  ;  that  will 
take  the  bitter  taste  out  of  your  mouth  ;  now  you  will  feel 
better,  and  wake  up  all  right  in  the  morning." 

"  Thank  you.  Doctor.  How  are  the  wounded  getting 
along?" 

"  Very  well.     I  was  obliged  to  amputate  Smith's  hand." 

"Were  you?  Poor  fellow!  I'm  so  sorry  for  him.  Will 
he  get  well?" 

"  Yes,  but  we  will  be  obliged  to  send  him  North." 

"  Is  Wilcox  hurt  much  ?" 

"  No,  only  a  flesh  wound,  but  it  is  in  a  bad  place  and  very 
painful.     He  will  come  out  all  right." 

"  That's  a  comfort.  I've  a  little  scratch  myself  for  you  to 
patch  up  to-morrow." 

"You?     Where?" 

"  Here  in  my  side,  only  through  the  skin.  I  got  several 
bullet-holes  in  my  coat." 

"  And  you  went  back  with  that  hole  in  you?     Y''ou  careless 


A    NAV^AL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR  155 

frllnvv!     If  that  ball  had  gone  half  an  inch  deeper,  it  would 
have  killed  you." 

"  '  A  miss  is  as  good  as  a  mile/  Doctor.  I  tipped  the  ball 
out  with  my  knife-blade  and  kept  a  little  oakum  over  the 
place." 

"  Why  didn't  you  tell  me  of  this  before?" 

"  I  forgot  ail  abi)ut  it  in  my  anxiety  to  get  EdgewooJ  out 
of  his  danger." 

"  Well,  you're  a  trump." 

"  You  say  I  have  given  you  a  scare.     What  do  you  mean  ?" 

"  Why,  we  thought  you  and  your  boats  had  been  captured, 
and  the  flotilla  }0u  brought  down  to-night  was  full  of  rebels 
coming  to  take  the  ship.  We  watched  for  you  all  yesterday 
and  last  night  and  to-day  gave  you  up  for  lost.  We  saw  the 
boats  coming  down  the  bay  before  dark,  but  they  were  too  far 
off  to  make  out  who  was  aboard  of  them,  and  we  went  to 
quarters  at  dark.  The  ship  was  bristling  with  arms  when  you 
arrived,  and,  if  you  had  been  rebels,  you  would  have  got  '  Hail 
Columbia.'" 

"  Didn't  you  hear  ray  men  singing  '  Landlord  fill  the  flow- 
ing bowl,' etc.,  just  as  they  have  so  many  times  aboard  the 
Nautilus?" 

"  Yes,  but  we  considered  that  a  ruse  of  the  enemy  to  throw 
us  off  our  guard." 

''Pshaw!     You  must  have  been  scared   to  so  lose  your 
judgment.     It  would  have  taken  more  than  a  million  rebels 
to  have  made  my  men  sing  when  prisoners.     Am  I  under 
arrest  for  scaring  you  ?" 
.    "No,  not  exactly;  but  for  disobeying  orders." 

"How  did  the  captain  know  I  had  disobeyed  orders?" 

"  He  knew  you  must  have  done  so,  because  you  were  gone 
so  long  and  brought  down  so  many  boats.  You  mustn't 
mind  being  under  arrest;  it  will  not  last  long.  The  whole 
ship's  com})any  knows  the  history  of  your  expedition  now  from 
your  comrades,  and  it  is  too  much  credit  to  the  Nautilus  for 
the  captain  to  ignore  it  and  punish  the  commander.  He 
can't  ignore  it;  it  must  be  reported,  and  Admiral  Bailey 
will  not  permit  you  to  be  punished  for  your  brave  conduct." 

"  I  would  like  to  know  what  the  Navy  is  going  to  do,  if  its 
officers  are  not  to  be  governed  by  circumstances  and  to  act  in 


156  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

emergencies.  There  was  an  excellent  opportunity  to  clear  out 
the  river,  as  the  result  proved.  I  should  like  to  see  any  one 
daring  enough  to  attempt  it  to-morrow.  The  whole  country 
is  in  arms,  and  a  hundred  cavalry  from  Tampa  Bay  are  now 
patrolling  the  banks  of  the  river.  This  conservatism  and 
servility  to  tradition  are  the  curse  of  the  service.  If  an  offi- 
cer is  only  to  follow  the  letter  of  the  law,  and  not  its  spirit; 
if  he  is  only  to  do  what  he  is  ordered  to  do,  like  a  machine; 
farewell  all  ambition,  all  hope  of  glory  !" 

"  Yes,  there  is  too  much  old  fogyism.  The  powers  will 
blame  you  for  assuming  responsibility  in  one  instance,  and 
reprimand  you  for  not  assuming  it  in  another.  There  is  too 
much  red-tape;  too  much  jealousy  of  the  high  prerogatives 
of  rank." 

Just  then  a  form  in  night-shirt  appeared  at  the  door.  It 
was  the  paymaster. 

"  I  came  in  to  give  you  a  good  shake,  Careswell,"  whis- 
pered he.  "I  heard  you  talking  and  I  couldn't  sleep  till  I 
saw  you  and  told  30U  how  unjustly  I  think  the  captain  has 
used  you.  Edgewood  and  Weston  have  told  us  all  about  the 
expedition,  and  you  deserve  praise  instead  of  blame.  The 
officers  all  think  so  too,  except  Ashton,  who  .seems  to  have  a 
special  spite  against  you.  I  judge  it  is  jealousy  on  his  part. 
The  captain  took  Weston  below  and  had  a  long  confabulation, 
and  I  think  he  is  sorry  for  his  hasty  action," 

"  All  right.  Pay.,  I've  done  my  duty,  let  the  consequences 
be  what  they  may." 

"  Pay.,  we  mustn't  keep  Careswell  awake  any  longer;  he  is 
weak  and  wounded,  and  needs  rest  and  sleep,  or  he  will  be 
on  the  sick-list.     We  can  talk  matters  over  to-morrow." 

"  Wounded  ?     You  don't  say  so !" 

"Yes,  but  only  slightly." 

"  I  am  sorry  to  hear  it,  and  I'll  not  disturb  him  a  minute 
longer." 

Good  nights  were  said  and  the  gentlemen  retired. 

Careswell  went  to  sleep  immediately  and,  by  the  doctor's 
orders,  was  left  undisturbed  till  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning. 
He  turned  out  feeling  a  little  stiff  and  stupid,  but  pretty  well 
considering  what  he  had  passed  through,  and  was  greeted 
warmly  by  most  of  his  brother  officers.     After  he  had  eaten 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  157 

breakfast,  his  colored  boy  told  him  the  captain  had  sent  down 
word  that  he  wanted  to  see  him  as  soon  as  he  was  about. 
Careswell  went  into  tlie  cabin  and  Captain  Prescott  shook  his 
hand  heartily  and  said,  "Mr.  Careswell,  I  relieve  you  from 
ariest.  I  was  hasty  last  night  and  am  sorry  for  it.  Take  a 
seat.     Steward,  open  a  bottle  of  sherry." 

Careswell  said  coldly,  "  I  think  you  were  hasty,  but  I  for- 
give you." 

The  gentlemen  sat  down  at  the  table,  sipped  the  excellent 
wine,  and  had  a  long  talk  about  the  expedition.  The  captain's 
manner  was  so  frank  and  friendly  that  Careswell  soon  forgot 
his  resentment,  and,  when  he  arose  to  go  on  deck,  he  thought 
his  commander  one  of  the  best  of  men.  It  was  decided  that 
a  boat  should  be  stationed  in  the  channel  behind  the  island, 
south  of  Pease  creek,  to  intercept  any  inward  bound  vessel, 
and  that  Careswell  should,  in  a  few  days,  take  the  Record  to 
Key  West  with  dispatches  for  Admiral  Bailey. 

The  following  day  a  sail  was  discovered  outside  and  the 
armed  launch  was  sent  in  pursuit.  She  had  a  long  chase  but 
finally  caught  the  craft  oflf  the  southern  end  of  Uzeppa  Key. 
She  was  a  boat  the  size  of  a  ship's  cutter;  the  cargo  consisted 
of  one  barrel  of  turpentine;  the  crew  of  two  men,  and  the 
destination  was  Nassau.  She  was  probably  the  smallest  block- 
ade-runner of  the  war. 

The  U.  S.  supply  steamer  Union  arrived  in  the  afternoon, 
and  two  boats  were  sent  out  for  the  usual  supply  of  fresh  beef, 
potatoes,  canned  goods,  wine,  ice,  and  the  mail.  The  day  of 
her  arrival  was  always  a  red  letter  day  for  blockaders.  The 
good  things  she  brought  were  doled  out  sparingly  and  made 
to  last  until  she  came  again;  the  newspapers  were  read  and 
re-read  by  officers  and  men  until  they  were  worn  out,  and 
letters  were  perused  over  and  over  and  parts  of  general  in- 
terest made  common  ]>roperty.  The  supply  steamer  was  the 
link  that  connected  the  isolated  and  weather-beaten  sailors 
with  the  dear  ones  at  home,  and  when  she  was  delayed  beyond 
her  regular  time,  complaints  along  the  coast  were  loud  and 
bitter. 

Occasionally  a  vessel  on  her  way  to  some  up  coast  station, 
or  a  cruiser  with  a  roving  commission,  would  stop  off  the  coast 
and  signal  for  a  boat,  or  come  into  the  harbor  and  drop  anchor 


158  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

for  a  day  or  two,  sometimes  bringing  a  little  later  news  and 
the  gossip  of  the  fleet,  but  besides  these  angel-like  visits,  there 
was  little  to  interrupt  the  daily  routine  of  a  station.  An  oc- 
casional chase,  an  expedition  to  the  mainland,  the  appearance 
of  some  hungry  refugee  from  the  interior,  and  fishing  and 
hunting,  lessened  the  monotony  at  times,  but  the  interest  and 
excitement  passed  quickly  and  the  old  machine-like  life  was 
continueil.  The  large  amount  of  leisure  permitted  much  reading 
and  writing,  and  the  officers  were  busy  when  off  duty  in  keep- 
ing diaries,  getting  up  letters  for  home,  studying  science  and 
languages,  and  devouring  every  novel  aboard.  Even  the  men 
forward  developeil  quite  a  taste  for  literature,  and  were  well 
supplied  with  books  by  their  sympathizing  superiors. 

The  boats  came  back  from  the  Union  at  dark,  the  stores 
were  taken  aboard,  the  large  mail-bag  was  carried  down  into 
the  wardroom  and  emptied  upon  the  table,  and  the  paymaster 
and  his  clerk  proceeded  to  distribute  the  mail.  First  came  a 
small  bag  for  the  captain,  which  was  immediately  sent  into  the 
cabin.  Then  the  newspapers  and  letters  were  gone  over  care- 
fully. Those  for  the  men  forward  were  put  in  one  pile; 
tho-!e  for  the  steerage  officers  in  another,  and  those  for  the 
wardroom  officers  were  delivered  immediately.  The  paymas- 
ter's clerk  took  the  sailors'  mail  to  the  officer-of-the-deck,  who 
sent  for  the  master-at-arms,  the  chief-of-police  of  the  berth- 
deck,  who  distributed  it  below.  A  steerage  officer  was  gener- 
ally waiting  in  the  country,  and  to  him  was  given  the  precious 
package  for  his  shipmates. 

When  sailors  get  letters  at  long  intervals,  they  do  not  tear 
them  open  roughly  and  read  them  hastily.  That  is  too  sum- 
mary treatment  for  such  precious  missives.  They  slip  away 
quietly  to  their  state-rooms,  or,  if  they  have  none,  get  in  some 
out  of  the  way  place  where  they  may  remain  undisturbed,  and 
read  them  slowly,  carefully,  thoughtfully,  having  each  sentence 
and  phrase  '  like  sweetness  long  drawn  out.'  After  the  letters 
are  read,  the  newspapers  are  gone  through  hastily,  and,  per- 
haps, an  hour  after  the  mail  has  been  given  out,  if  no  bad  news 
has  been  received,  all  the  officers  assemble  in  their  quarters, 
and  the  men  gather  in  little  knots,  and  all  talk  of  home  and 
what  has  happened  during  the  last  month. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  159 


CHAPTER  Xir. 

The  wardroom  officers  gatliered  below  after  the  mail  ha<l 
been  disposed  of  and  discussed  the  war  news  and  indulged  in 
jokes  and  general  hilarity.  The  U.  S.  army  had  been  success- 
ful in  several  im])ortant  battles;  the  cordon  militair  had  been 
.  drawn  closer  around  the  rebellious  states;  the  blockade  had 
become  more  effective;  a  number  of  new  vessels  had  been  put 
in  commission  ;  the  Vanderbilt  had  gone  after  the  Alabama  ; 
many  valuable  prizes  had  been  taken  by  the  navy  ;  promotions 
were  becoming  frequent,  and  there  were  rumors  that  the  Nau- 
tilus would  soon  go  home.  This  was  enough  to  make  every- 
body rejoice,  and  the  sailors  on  the  spar  and  berth  decks  and 
the  gentlemen  in  the  two  steerages  and  the  wardroom  were 
having  a  jolly  time. 

The  paymaster  had  received  a  bunch  of  ripe  bananas  from 
Miss  Garver ;  Mr.  Bloss,  a  basket  of  fine  oranges  fi-om  Madam 
Fontana,  and  Careswell,  a  large,  rich  fruit-cake  from  home. 
These  were  placed  upon  the  table,  a  gallon  of  iced  claret 
punch  M-as  made,  and  the  captain  and  the  gentlemen  of  the 
two  steerages  were  invited  into  the  wardroom.  The  good 
things  disappeared  rapidly  and  were  praised  extravagantly. 
It  was  hard  to  determine  which  was  appreciated  most :  the 
luscious  fruit  of  the  South,  the  familiar  cake  from  home,  or 
the  delicious  ice-cold  punch.  All  were  the  greatest  luxuries 
to  the  weather-beaten  blockaders,  who  exchanged  scraps  of 
news,  cracked  jokes,  told  stories  and  sang  songs  till  nearly 
midnight.  The  captain  withdrew  early;  the  wardroom  offi- 
cers contributed  their  share  to  the  sport  with  easy  dignity,  and 
the  steerage  gentlemen  just  let  themselves  loose  for  a  good 
time.  Mr.  Bloss  was  in  his  element.  He  had  a  joke,  a  gibe, 
a  piece  of  poetry  or  a  story  evei*y  few  minutes. 

Careswell  had  received  twenty  letters;  sixteen  of  these  had 
accumulated  at  Havana  and  been  forwarded  to  the  fleet,  two 
had  come  directly  from  the  North,  and  two  were  from  Key 
West.     He  had  long  grieved  over  the  apparent  neglect  of  his 


160  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

Northern  frienc!s,but  now  he  rejoiced  in  the  knowledoje  that  tliey 
had  written  to  him  regularly,  and  the  Post  Office  officials  were 
responsible  for  the  non-delivery.  This  miscarriage  of  letters 
was  very  common  on  the  blockade,  and  men  sometimes  vA'ere 
months  without  any  news  from  home.  When  letters  did 
finally  arrive,  they  occasionally  contained  news  that  near  and 
dear  relatives  had  died  months  before.  One  expects  such 
things  on  a  foreign  station,  but  the  blockaders  could  hardly 
realize  at  first,  being  on  their  own  coast,  that  they  were  as 
much  removed  from  loved  ones,  as  if  the  broad  ocean  rolled 
between.  Lawson  had,  also,  received  a  large  mail,  and  Bloss 
said  to  him,  "  Lawson,  I  am  glad  to  see  industry  has  its  re- 
ward." 

"  What  do  you  mean?"  asked  the  chief-engineer. 

"  Why,  that  your  indefatigable  letter  writing  has  brought 
fruit  in  return." 

"  I  don't  write  any  more  than  the  rest  of  you." 

"You  don't?  There's  not  an  hour  in  the  day  that  you 
don't  jot  down  an  item  for  your  inamorata."  The  ward- 
room officers  smiled  and  Lawson  looked  confused. 

"Well,  that's  the  way  to  write,"  said  he;  "put  down  all 
your  ideas  just  when  they  come  into  your  mind.  I  could  not 
sit  down  and  write  a  letter  all  at  once  that  would  be  read- 
able." 

Lawson  ke])t  a  sheet  of  foolscap  fastened  to  his  desk  and 
filled  one  daily.  He  would  come  in  from  the  engine-room 
and  make  a  note,  lay  down  his  cigar,  come  below  and  make 
another,  and  even  leave  the  mess-table  to  crystallize  a  thought 
u])on  the  paper.  His  letters  were  copious  and  ponderous. 
What  he  found  to  write  so  much  about  was  a  marvel,  and  he 
was  frequently  quizzed  by  his  brother  officers  upon  his  idio- 
syncrasy. 

"  It's  a  mistake  to  say  too  much  in  a  letter,"  said  Bloss. 
"  One  should  give  a  bold  outline  of  the  situation,  and  not  fill 
in  details.  Leave  something  to  the  imagination.  Girls  don't 
write  much.  Careswell's  letters  are  all  thin.  I'll  bet  they 
contain  a  heap  of  sweet  things."  This  caused  a  laugh.  Bloss 
continued,  "  Do  you  remember  what  Byron  says  of  a  woman's 
letter,  Careswell?" 

"  No.     What  does  he  say  ?" 


A   KAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  161 

"  He  wrote, 

" '  I  love  the  mystery  of  a  female  missal, 

Which  like  a  creed  ne'er  says  all  it  intends, 

But  full  of  cunning  like  Ulysses'  whistle, 

When  he  allured  pure  Dolon  :  you  had  better, 

Take  care  what  you  reply  to  such  a  letter.' " 

"  Well !  take  care  what  you  reply  to  Madam  then,  for  I 
saw  her  handwriting  on  one  of  your  letters,"  said  Careswell. 
Every  one  laughed  and  Bloss  replied  lightly, 

"  '  I'll  write  her  a  sonnet, 
Upon  anew  bonnet; 
I'll  let  free  my  muse, 
And  speak  of  her  shoes; 
I'll  enclose  a  caress. 
For  her  beautiful  dress.' " 

"That  puts  me  in  mind  of  an  excursion  through  an  orange 
grove  with  a  party  of  ladies,"  said  Asliton. 

"  I  was  sauntering  along  with  one  of  the  young  ladies 
somewhat  behind  the  rest,  and  we  came  under  a  fine  tree 
loaded  with  fragrant  blossoms.  I  plucked  a  sprig  and  handed 
it  to  the  lady.  She  took  it,  placed  it  over  her  forehead  and 
said,  '  How  do  you  think  I  would  look  under  a  wreath  of 
them  ?'  '  Lovely,  of  course,'  said  I.  '  I  suppose  I  shall  never 
wear  them,'  she  said  sadly.  I  did  not  continue  the  subject. 
I  thought  it  was  getting  a  little  too  confidential." 

"  Your  conceit  matched  her  sentiment,"  said  Mr.  Felton. 
"  Some  men  think  the  ladies  are  all  in  love  with  them. 
Women  are  not  such  fools.  They  are  like  quail,  shy  and 
easily  frightened.  They  wait  until  a  man  shows  some  interest 
in  them  before  they  are  attracted.  Then  they  make  up  their 
minds  in  regard  to  a  fellow,  and  repel  or  accept  his  attentions 
according  to  circumstances." 

"It  is  certain  that  quite  a  number  of  our  army  and  navy 
men  are  finding  their  affinities  down  South,"  said  the  doctor. 
"I  know  several  very  improper  alliances  already.  Some 
finely  educated  officers  of  excellent  family  have  married 
Southern  women  whom  they  will  be  ashamed  to  take  home 
with  them.  I  have  no  doubt  some  of  the  gentlemen  have 
broken  their  vows  to  Northern  sweethearts." 


1(!2  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

"  They  might  have  broken  them  if  they  had  stayed  at  liome," 
said  Bloss.     "  Holmes  says, 

'Ah  !  that's  the  way  delusion  comes,  a  glass  of  old  Madeira, 
A  pair  of  visual  diaphragms  revolved  by  Jane  or  Sarah, 
And  down  gn  vows  and  promises  without  the  slightest  question. 
If  eating  words  won't  compromise  the  organs  of  digestion.'  " 

"  Forever  harping  upon  love  and  marriage  and  woman  !  I 
do  wish  you'd  find  something  else  to  talk  about,"  said  Pay- 
master Horton  impatiently. 

"What  shall  we  talk  about?  We  are  deprived  of  the 
charming  society  of  ladies  and  must  have  some  recompense," 
said  Sanborn. 

"  Better  talk  of  the  S|ihinx,  the  Exodus  from  Egypt,  and 
the  Holy  Sepulchre,"  said  Ashton  sneeringly,  hinting  at  the 
paymaster's  love  for  ancient  history  and  the  Bible. 

"  I  have  a  story,"  said  Careswell. 

"  Let  us  have  it  then,"  said  several. 

"An  Irish  sailor  fell  off  of  the  mizzen  topgallant  yard;  he 
plunged  down  a  little  way  and  struck  a  stay  which  turned  him 
over,  then  he  caught  upon  some  of  the  running  rigging  which 
helped  to  break  his  fall,  and  when  he  reached  the  quarter- 
deck, he  came  dov,-n  rather  forcibly  bolt  upright  upon  his  feet 
before  the  captain,  who  was  walking  up  and  down. 

"  The  captiiin  started  back  in  alarm  and  shouted,  '  Where 
did  you  come  from,  sir?' 

"The  Irishman,  stunned  and  dazed, saluted  his  commander 
and  replied,  'From  the  north  of  Ireland,  sir.'" 

When  the  laughter  had  subsided,  Bloss  said  that  reminded 
him  of  one. 

"Mr.  Bloss!  Mr.  Bloss!"  called  out  the  middies.  Bloss 
began : 

"  I  had  a  maiden  aunt,  who  went  from  Portland  to  Boston 
in  a  small  schooner.  The  wind  was  dead  ahead  going  up 
Massachusetts  Bay,  and  the  vessel  beat  in  during  the  entire 
night.  The  violence  of  the  wind  and  sea,  the  noise  upon  deck 
tacking  ship,  and  the  strangeness  of  her  surroundings,  made 
the  old  lady  so  anxious  that  she  could  not  sleep.  She  had  a 
great  story  of  the  dangerous  journey  to  tell  her  friends  after 
slie  arrived  home.     She  said,  '  A  sailor's  life  is  a  terrible  one, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  163 

and  I  rlo  not  want  any  of  my  kin  to  go  to  sea.  Every  little 
while,  during  that  awful  night,  the  poor  sailors  were  called  to 
turn  the  vessel  around,  but  there  were  two  who  must  have 
been  worked  nearly  to  death,  poor  fellows,  they  were  named 
*  Ready  About,'  and  '  Hard  A.  Lee.' " 

Shouts  of  laughter  greeted  this  good  yarn,  and  everybody 
drank  to  the  health  of  Bloss'  aunt.     Then  Bloss  repeated, 

"  '  My  aunt !  my  poor  deluded  aunt ! 

Her  hair  is  almost  gray ; 
Why  will  she  train  that  winter  curl 

In  such  a  spring-like  way? 
How  can  she  lay  her  glasses  down, 

And  say  she  reads  as  well, 
When,  through  a  double  convex  lens, 

She  just  makes  out  to  spell  ?'  " 

The  mirth  over  this  appropriate  quotation  subsided,  and 
then  Captain  Presoott  said, 

"Commodore  Pearson  was  on  his  way  to  China  in  one  of 
our  frigates  and  stopped  in  at  Cape  Town  for  suj)plies.  The 
English  admiral  requested  him  to  take  the  mail  to  China  and 
he  consented.  The  mail-bags  were  delivered  and  the  messen- 
ger requested  Pearson  to  sign  a  receipt  for  them.  "Take  your 
receipt  back,'  said  the  commodore,  'and  tell  your  admiral  that 
flag  which  floats  over  us  is  sufficient  guaranty  that  his  mail 
will  be  safely  delivered.'  The  admiral  apologized  immediately, 
and  laid  the  blame  upon  the  messenger." 

The  officers  applauded  by  clapping  hands,  and  the  captain 
soon  after  retired  to  his  cabin. 

Sanborn  then  related  the  following: 

"  A  square-rigged  brig  was  running  with  all  sail  set  and 
the  wind  and  sea  on  her  quarter.  You  know  these  vessels 
are  exceedingly  difficult  to  steer  before  the  wind,  because  the 
few  fore  and  aft  sails  draw  little  and  cannot  counteract  the 
yawing  caused  by  the  square  sails  upon  the  mainmast.  The 
man  at  the  wheel  had  worked  so  hard  to  keep  the  vessel  on 
her  compass  course,  that  he  had  discarded  all  his  clothes  ex- 
cept his  shirt  and  pants,  and  stood  bareheaded  and  barefooted, 
rolling  the  wheel  to  the  right  and  left  rapidly  and  laboriously, 
as  a  puff  of  wind  came  or  a  sea  struck  the  brig  under  the 
counter  and  pitched  her  round. 


164  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

"The  captain  came  up  iu  his  nightshirt  and  took  a  look  at 
the  compass  ju.«t  as  the  vessel  had  been  knocked  oflFher  course 
three  points.  He  looked  into  the  binnacle  sharply,  noted  the 
deviation  from  the  course,  and  yelled  at  the  helmsman,  'Why 
don't  you  keep  her  on  her  course,  you  lubber?'  The  helms- 
man, worn  out  and  dripping  with  sweat,  responded,  '  How  can 
I  keep  her  on  her  course,  when  every  few  minutes  she  turns 
around  and  looks  me  in  the  face?'" 

This  yarn  was  appreciated  and  heartily  applauded.  Then 
Mr.  Felton  described  a  total  eclipse  of  the  sun,  which  he  had 
witnessed  when  he  was  cruising  in  the  Caribbean  sea. 

"I  was  coming  home  from  a  four  years'  cruise  in  the  China 
seas,  and  the  ship  touched  at  Rio  de  Janeiro  for  fresh  provi- 
sions and  water.  After  a  few  days'  delay,  we  put  to  sea, 
crept  away  to  the  northward  in  sight  of  the  beautiful  coast, 
passed  to  the  eastward  of  Trinidad,  and  entered  the  blue  Car- 
ibbean between  Antigua  and  Montserrat,  two  of  the  loveliest 
isles  of  the  Caribees. 

"  It  was  one  of  those  clear,  balmy  days  that  make  the  lati- 
tude of  the  southeast  trade  winds  so  delightful.  The  softly- 
shaded,  feathery  clouds  were  piled  drift  upon  drift  in  endless 
banks  of  silvery  gray  ;  the  sun  shone  brightly  down  upon  the 
deep  blue  of  the  island  sea,  and  the  stately  ship  moved  quietly 
along,  rolling  slightly  to  starboard  and  port,  as  if  making 
courtesies  to  the  summer  billows.  A  flying-fish  would  occa- 
sionally slip  from  a  wave  crest,  dart  sportively  along  the  rip- 
pling surface  of  the  waters  and  bury  himself  when  weary  in 
his  ocean  home.  The  sea  gulls  floated  lazily  around  in  circles 
and  parabolas,  now  near,  now  far  away,  and  the  chirping 
Mother  Carey's  chickens  flitted  in  the  wake  of  the  vessel,  catch- 
ing the  food  that  the  lolling  boys  of  the  ship  always  saved  from 
their  allowance  to  feed  to  them. 

"  About  ten  o'clock  in  the  morning,  a  lurid  red  glamour  of 
light  and  shade  fell  upon  the  waters;  the  clouds  and  sky  be- 
came of  a  deep  dark  purple  color,  and,  looking  upwards  to 
the  source  of  all  light  and  heat  and  life,  we  noticed  for  the 
first  time  a  dark  body  partly  covering  the  face  of  the  sun. 
Little  by  little  it  crept  onwards  until  the  bright  orb  became  a 
dull  leaden  ball,  surrounded  by  a  broad  halo,  or  corona,  of 
silver  and  gold,  with  fiery  radiating  needles  and  rose-pink 


A   NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  165 

flumes,  shading  into  outer  circles  of  gray  and  terminating  in 
blackness.  A  dark  shadow  swept  across  the  ship  and  sea  so 
rapidly,  as  to  make  us  feel  we  were  moving  sideways  at  terrific 
speed.  We  were  in  the  hundred  and  fifty  mile  wide  path  of 
the  moon's  shadow.  The  stars  came  out  suddenly  and  twin- 
kled with  their  old  midnight  glimmer;  the  birds  ceased  their 
chirping;  the  gulls  settled  upon  the  waves  with  folded  wings, 
and  something  awful  seemed  impending. 

"  The  sailors,  impressed  by  feelings  of  awe  and  reverence 
for  unseen  power,  stood  motionless  in  groups  about  the  deck, 
with  their  livid  white  faces  and  anxious  eyes  turned  heaven- 
ward. The  clanking  of  the  engine,  and  the  dull  thud  of  the 
screw  blades  seemed  frightful  sounds  to  the  painfully  acute 
ears,  and  the  plash  of  the  waves,  as  they  broke  against  the 
wooden  walls  cf  the  ship,  had  a  mournful  sound.  It  was  a 
solemn  moment,  and  everyone  felt  his  insignificance  in  the 
presence  of  this  phenomenon  of  nature. 

'*  Then  the  leaden  moon  moved  across  the  face  of  old  Sol ; 
lay  in  his  crescent  arms  awhile,  both  bodies  showing  a  most 
exquisite  play  of  colors,  and  was  finally  pushed  off  by  fiery 
darts  into  invisibility,  while  the  stars  faded  quickly  away,  and 
the  glorious  sunlight  chased  the  melancholy  shadows  from  the 
tropic  sea.  A  weight  seemed  lifted  from  our  throbbing  hearts; 
speech  returned  in  subdued  tones  which  seemed  harsh  in  con- 
trast with  the  previous  stillness;  the  chickens  began  to  flit  and 
chirp  astern,  and  the  bewildered  gulls  commenced  another  day 
of  ceaseless  soaring. 

"I  had  watched  through  childhood  and  youth,  with  bits  of 
smoked  glass,  upon  cloudy  and  disappointing  days,  for  partial 
eclipses  of  the  sun.  There,  in  the  Caribbean  sea,  I  was  grati- 
fied by  the  sight  of  a  total  eclipse — a  great  movement  of  nature 
— observed  under  circumstances  which  greatly  increased  its 
magnificence  and  grandeur." 

The  gentlemen  were  greatly  pleased  at  this  recital  and 
clapped  their  hands  and  stamped  noisily.  After  some  conver- 
sation, the  doctor  was  called  upon  for  a  story  and  related  the 
following: 

"A  poor  Irishman,  who  lived  on  an  estate  some  distance 
from  Dublin,  was  taken  sick  in  the  night  and  the  village 
doctor  was  called.     He  found  the  patient  suffering  from  crapu- 


166  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

lent  colic,  the  effect  of  an  overindulgence  at  supper,  told  him 
lie  must  take  an  emetic,  administered  it  with  his  own  hands 
and  returned  home. 

"  Patric^k  vomited  freely,  became  very  weak  and  fearful,  and 
had  his  friends  send  to  Dublin  for  the  city  doctor. 

"  The  latter  came,  examined  the  patient,  looked  grave,  shook 
his  head,  wrote  a  prescription,  and  was  about  to  depart,  when 
Patrick  called  him.  'Doctor  dear,'  said  he,  'do  vou  think 
I'll  get  well?' 

'  I  hope  so,  Patrick,'  was  the  reply. 

*  Doctor,  what  is  that  ye's  a  givin'  me  ?' 

'  It  is  an  emetic' 

'Och !  Doctor  dear;  it's  no  use  to  be  a  givin'  me  that;  the 
other  doctor  gave  me  one  and  it  wouldn't  stay  on  my  stomach 
at  all,  at  all !'" 

When  the  laughter  and  fun  over  this  story  had  quieted, 
everybody  looked  at  the  paymaster  and  he  told  his  story. 

"I  made  a  cruise  in  the  Practice  Ship  with  a  hundred  or 
more  middies  once,  and  a  livelier  set  of  mischief  makers  I  never 
saw.  We  were  serving  grog  one  day.  You  know  how  it  is 
done.  A  rope  was  led  across  the  port  side  from  the  mainmast 
to  the  rail  about  three  feet  above  the  deck ;  the  tub  of  spirits 
and  pile  of  little  tin  cups  were  placed  just  aft  of  it;  Mr.  But- 
tons, my  clerk,  stood  l)y  them  and  Jack-o'-the  Dust  gave  each 
man  his  tot,  as  he  came  under  the  rope  and  went  around  the 
mainmast  forward.  Mr.  Buttons  took  a  pint  pot  full  of 
whiskey  out  of  the  tub  for  his  own  use,  before  lie  began  serv- 
ing, and  set  it  under  a  gun-carriage  to  his  left  hand.  There 
was  always  a  crowd  of  middies  on  the  port  side,  watching  the 
grog  drinking,  and  they  gathered  close  about  Buttons  and  be- 
tween him  and  the  gun  on  this  occasion  apparently  much  in- 
terested. 

"  Several  of  the  men  had  been  detected  in  doubling,  that  is, 
coming  under  the  rope  and  getting  an  extra  tot  on  several 
former  occasions,  and  Buttons  watched  his  list  and  the  faces 
shar|)ly  to  catch  the  rascals. 

"  When  he  had  served  all  hands,  he  and  Jack  lowered  the 
tub  down  through  the  hatchway  into  the  store-room,  put  on  the 
padlock  and  returned  to  the  deck.  He  stooped  down,  reached 
under  the  gnn,  seized  his  dipper  and  went  below.     The  mid- 


A   NAVAI.   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  167 

dies  had  all  disappeared,  and  I  saw  them  down  in  the  steerage 
below  the  berth-deck  passing  something  around  and  keeping 
very  quiet. 

"  Pretty  soon  Buttons  came  from  his  quarters  forward,  look- 
ing as  dark  as  a  Creole,  and  began  to  question  everybody  about 
deck  in  regard  to  who  had  been  in  proximity  to  the  gun.  No 
one  knew  anything.  There  had  been  a  numl)er  of  midship- 
men about,  but  no  one  could  say  who  they  were.  Finally 
Buttons  let  out  the  secret  of  his  wrath.  He  had  found  after 
he  arrived  at  his  mess-room  that  his  dipper  contained  good 
ship's  water.  Some  one  had  smuggled  the  dipper  below, 
emptied  out  its  precious  contents  and  filled  it  with  water. 

"  The  store-room  could  not  be  opened  again ;  there  was  no 
help  for  it,  and  Buttons  and  his  messmates  had  to  do  without 
their  whiskey  that  day.  No  one  except  myself  ever  knew  who 
were  the  guilty  parties,  and  I  never  told  anybody." 

"  Three  cheers  for  the  paymaster !''  cried  an  excited  middy. 
All  enjoyed  the  tale  exceedingly. 

"  Now,  who  do  you  suppose  took  Buttons'  whiskey?"  asked 
the  paymaster,  turning  to  the  midshipmen. 

"  The  engineers,  of  course,"  answered  one. 

"  The  ship's  cat,"  said  another. 

"  Some  powder-monkey,"  said  a  third. 

"The  poor  middies  always  have  to  bear  the  blame  of  every 
mishap  in  the  ship,"  said  a  fourth. 

The  engineers  were  silent.  Indignation  prevented  utterance. 
The  majority  of  the  gentlemen  present  affirmed  the  ship's  cat 
was  the  guilty  party. 

Mr.  Lawson  was  called  upon  for  a  yarn  and  responded 
readily. 

"Two  boats  were  racing  on  the  Mississippi  river;  one  of 
them  exploded  her  boilers  and  threw  passengers,  pilot-house, 
hurricane  deck  and  timbers  high  up  in  the  air.  The  pilot 
went  up  some  distance  and,  during  his  fall  downward  into  the 
water,  met  the  clerk  going  up.  'It's  no  use  to  try  to  find 
safety  in  that  direction,'  he  shouted,  'there's  too  much  un- 
claimed machinery  and  too  many  lumber-yards  flying  around 
up  there !' " 

This  raised  a  laugh,  but  all  complained  the  story  was  too 
short. 


168  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  a  true  one,"  said  the  chief. 

"  We  had  a  new  clerk  in  the  steerage  last  voyage  who  was 
exceedingly  gullible.  We  were  pumping  out  the  bilge  one 
day  and  the  measured  sounds  of  the  pump  attracted  his  atten- 
tion. 

"'What  makes  that  noise?'  he  asked  of  a  third-assistant. 

"  '  That's  the  donkey.' 

"  '  The  donkey  !     Have  you  a  donkey  down  there?' 

'"  Yes,  of  course.     Don't  you  hear  him  stamping?' 

"' Ye-s;  but  what  do  you  keep  him  down  there  for?' 

"  'To  drink  up  the  bilge-water.' 

" '  You  do?     What  do  you  feed  him  on  ?' 

"'Oh,  the  cook  gives  him  the  potato  peelings  and  other 
waste.' 

"'I'd  like  to  see  him,' 

"  '  Well,  you  may  sometime.' 

"  The  verdant  one  looked  thoughtful,  and  asked  several 
engineers  if  there  was  a  real  donkey  down  below.  They  were 
all  in  the  secret  and  swore  it  was  true. 

"  We  crossed  the  equator  a  few  days  later,  and  the  sailors 
celebrated  the  event  by  bringing  Neptune  over  the  bow,  shav- 
ing the  uninitiated  with  a  piece  of  iron  barrel-hoop,  and 
marching  about  the  ship.  They  had  in  the  parade  an  elephant, 
a  donkey  and  several  monkeys  made  for  the  occasion.  Men 
were  covered  by  tarpaulins,  rigged  out  witli  leather,  rope  yarns 
and  swabs,  and  the  two  men  who  personated  the  donkey  had 
belaying-pins  in  their  hands,  which  they  struck  upon  the  deck 
as  they  went  along  to  imitate  the  tramp  of  the  jack.  The 
curious  cortege,  led  by  a  band  of  music,  marched  all  round 
the  ship,  and  in  the  darkness  made  a  deceptive  appearance  and 
a  great  deal  of  fun. 

"The  unsophisticated  clerk  was  very  curious;  he  exam- 
ined tlie  animals  closely,  and  took  hold  of  the  donkey's  swab 
tail,  but  he  received  such  a  kick  from  the  hinder  belaying- 
pins,  that  his  investigations  suddenly  came  to  an  end.  The 
next  day  I  took  him  down  into  the  fire-room  and  showed  him 
the  donkey-engine  used  for  pumping  the  ship." 

While  everyone  was  laughing  and  quizzing  the  chief  about 
his  made-up  yarn,  the  bell  upon  the  forecastle  and  the  one  by 
the  binnacle  began  to  strike  rapidly — ding — ding — ding,  and 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  169 

a  sliout  rang  tlirougli  the  sliip,  "  Fire  in  the  fore-hold  !"  The 
gentlemen  turned  pale,  sprang  from  their  seats,  ran  to  their 
rooms,  grasped  their  side-arms  and  rushed  to  their  several 
stations.  The  sailors  poured  up  the  hatchways,  joined  the 
watch  on  deck,  and  all  hastened  to  their  duties.  The  captain 
and  executive  were  already  upon  the  bridge,  the  latter  giving 
orders  in  quick,  firm  tones.  Each  officer  and  squad  of  men 
had  a  division  of  labor  to  perform.  Hose  were  led  out, 
pumps  manned,  and  streams  of  water  sent  forward  ;  the  mag- 
azine was  ilooded  ;  (?;  the  boats  were  lowered  and  manned  ; 
provisions  and  water  were  hoisted  out  and  lowered  into  them, 
and  nautical  instruments,  log-books,  charts  and  flags  passed 
down  by  hand ;  the  smoke  and  flames  drove  the  men  aft ;  (?) 
it  was  found  impossible  to  save  the  ship;  (?)  the  officers  and 
men  were  ordered  to  the  boats  ;  the  executive  took  charge  of 
the  first  cutter;  the  captain  stood  in  the  gangway  a  moment, 
took  a  last  look  at  the  vessel,  raised  his  cap,  descended  into 
his  gig,  and  asked  the  executive,  "Are  all  embarked,  sir?" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !"  was  the  reply. 

Then  he  gave  the  order,  "Shove  off!"  This  was  repeated 
by  the  officer  in  charge  of  each  boat ;  the  oars  fell,  and  strong 
strokes  sent  the  boats  twenty  fathoms  from  the  ship,  when  an 
order  was  given  to  stop  rowing.  The  stars  were  shining 
brightly;  there  was  not  a  breath  of  wind,  and  the  Nautilus 
lay  motionless  and  deserted  upon  the  water. 

The  whole  time  consumed,  from  the  moment  the  bells  had 
rung  out  their  terrible  alarm,  until  the  boats  had  reached  a 
safe  distance  from  the  vessel,  was  only  eight  minutes. 

The  Nautilus  was  not  on  fire;  the  men  had  only  made  be- 
lieve flood  the  magazine;  no  smoke  and  flames  had  been  seen; 
it  was  not  impossible  to  save  the  ship  ;  but  it  was  several 
minutes  before  the  men  found  out  that  tlie  alarm  of  fire  had 
been  made  simply  to  test  their  efficiency  in  the  "  Fire  Drill." 
The  captain  thought  it  would  be  a  good  opportunity,  as  most 
of  the  officers  were  awake  and  dressed,  and  he  had  ordered 
the  deck-officer  to  sound  the  alarm.  The  boats  returned  to 
the  ship  before  eight  bells  (midnight),  and  were  unloaded  and 
hoisted  up;  the  decks  were  cleared  up,  and  all  except  the 
mid-watch  turned  in. 


170  CliUISIXG    AXD    BLOCKADING. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

The  ])retty,  little  sloop-yacht  Rosalie,  carrying  a  12-pounder 
howitzer  and  a  crew  of  twelve  men,  had  been  sent  to  Charlotte 
Harbor  to  act  as  a  tender  to  the  vessel  upon  the  station.  She 
was  commanded  by  Acting  Master  Cotfer,  a  thorough  Massa- 
chusetts sailor  from  "  behint  Nantucket  pint,"  and  was  sta- 
tioned by  Captain  Prescott  inside  of  Punta  Rassa,  in  the  estu- 
ary made  by  the  Caloosahatchie  River.  The  Rosalie  had  not 
been  long  upon  the  station  before  she  gave  a  good  account  of 
herself.  The  rebels  far  up  the  river  put  thirty  regulators 
below  the  deck  of  a  small  schooner,  called  the  Georgie,  dropped 
her  down  to  Fort  Myers,  and  anchored  near  the  shore.  The 
Rosalie  frequently  ran  up  to  the  fort  and  stayed  a  day  or  two 
in  order  to  get  early  news  of  any  blockade-runner  loading  up 
river  from  the  refugee  families  which  had  been  transferred 
from  the  harbor  to  the  barracks,  and  the  rebels  thought  they 
might  get  an  opportunity  to  board  the  little  craft  and  capture 
her.  They  had  not  long  to  wait.  The  Rosalie  was  seen  com- 
ing up  the  river  one  afternoon,  but  she  anchored  at  dark  half 
a  mile  below  the  fort  without  having  discovered  the  Georgie. 
The  rebels  got  underway  about  ten  o'clock,  sailed  close  along 
the  right  bank  of  the  river  until  just  above  the  Rosalie,  and 
then  steered  directly  for  her.  The  wind  was  light  and  the 
current  strong,  and,  unfortunately  for  the  well-planned  attack, 
the  Georgie  was  swept  below  the  other  vessel  almost  as  soon 
as  she  came  out  from  the  shadows  of  the  trees.  At  the  same 
time  she  was  discovered  by  the  Rosalie;  a  rattle  was  sprung  ; 
all  hands  were  on  deck  in  a  moment,  and  the  volley  of  the 
attacking  party  was  answered  by  the  sharp  music  of  several 
revolvers  and  rifles.  The  Georgie  was  a  long  musket-shot 
away  before  her  men  could  reload,  and  their  second  discharge 
went  wild.  Coifer  answered  it  with  a  shower  of  canister  from 
his  howitzer,  which  hurt  several  rebels,  drove  most  of  them 
below,  and  scared  the  captain  so  badly  that  he  ran  the  schooner 
ashore.     Another  quart  of  canister  flew  around  the  schooner, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAK,  171 

and  the  captain  and  his  men  took  to  the  woods  and  scattered. 
Coifer  dropped  his  vessel  down  abreast  of  the  schooner,  shelled 
the  bank  awhile,  then  sent  in  a  boat  and  brought  the  prize  out 
to  anchor. 

The  next  day  he  returned  to  the  mouth  of  the  river ;  the 
following  day,  sailed  his  two  vessels  up  to  the  harbor  and 
came  on  board  the  Nautilus  to  report,  looking  as  proud  as  the 
captain  of  a  sixty-four  gun  frigate.  He  was  congratulated 
by  the  wardroom  mess  over  a  bottle  of  sherry,  dined  by  Cap- 
tain Prescott,  and,  after  two  wounded  men  had  been  trans- 
ferred to  the  Nautilus,  he  took  the  Rosalie  back  to  her  station 
in  the  afternoon. 

Coffer's  exploit  was  the  talk  of  the  ship  for  several  days. 
It  was  the  first  time  he  had  been  under  fire,  and,  although  he 
was  a  volunteer  officer,  a  so-called  mustang,  he  had  acted  with 
the  coolness,  energy  and  circumspection  of  a  regular.  Such 
conduct  was  expected  of  a  regularly  educated  naval  officer, 
but  some  surprise  was  expressed  that  a  man  who  had  been  all 
his  life  in  the  merchant  marine  should  be  able  in  a  trying 
emergency  to  handle  his  vessel  and  crew  so  skilfully. 

All  along  the  blockaded  coast  from  Norfolk  to  the  Rio 
Grande,  the  volunteer  officers  were  distinguishing  themselves 
by  their  efficiency  and  courage,  in  blockading,  cutting  out 
vessels,  and  actual  fighting  upon  sea  and  land,  and  the  feelings 
of  superiority,  contempt  and  hauteur  with  which  the  regulars 
at  first  regarded  them,  soon  gave  place  to  respect  and  admira- 
tion. After  the  first  year  of  the  war,  the  volunteer  and  regular 
naval  officers  were  a  band  of  brothers,  vying  with  each  other 
in  honorable  ways,  as  to  who  could  serve  the  country  best. 

Coffer  had  a  good  time  upon  his  independent  station  and 
everybody  envied  him.  In  the  day-time,  his  men  raked  oysters, 
dug  quahaugs,  fished  with  lines,  drew  the  seine,  and  shot 
curlew  upon  the  marsh  behind  the  Connecticut  fish-house, 
which  Coffer,  in  memory  of  a  famous  Boston  hotel,  had  named 
in  large  black  letters  across  the  front,  "  Parker  House."  Some 
days  he  would  run  up  the  Caloosahatchie  and  search  its 
branches  for  a  blockade-runner,  and  others,  put  to  sea  in  chase 
of  a  passing  sail. 

The  west  coast  of  Florida  was  a  fine  place  for  sportsmen  ; 
the  rivers,  inlets  and  smooth  waters  of  the  Gulf  made  a  safe 


172  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

and  pleasant  cruising  ground  ;  the  islands  and  coast  furnished 
firewood,  camping  places  and  some  supplies ;  the  heat  was 
tempered  by  delicious  breezes  ;  the  storms  were  mostly  of  rain 
and  rarely  violent ;  the  mail  came  so  seldom  that  everybody 
was  isolated  from  the  cares  and  troubles  of  the  world,  and 
man  was  left  face  to  face  with  nature  and  the  mosquitoes. 

"  By  ray  tarry  tojj-lights  and  top-gallant  eyebrows  !"  said  old 
Harrington,  the  senior  quartermaster,  one  night  on  watch,  "  I 
never  saw  such  blood-thirsty  villains  as  these  mosquitoes. 
There's  no  getting  away  from  them.  If  a  fellow  was  up  to 
his  neck  in  salt  water,  they'd  cover  his  head  like  the  front  of 
a  bee-hive  and  dive  for  the  bottom  of  his  trousers.  The  men 
below  sleep  half  the  time  and  fight  mosquitoes  the  other  half, 
and  look  as  if  they  were  just  getting  over  small-pox." 

"  You  don't  think  this  is  a  happy  life  then?"  asked  Cares  well, 
who  had  the  deck. 

"  Not  much,  sir!  There's  no  such  thing  as  happiness  on  a 
ship.     It  is  simple  endurance  of  misery." 

"  You  seem  to  like  misery  pretty  well,  old  fellow,  since  you 
have  come  back  to  it  every  time  you've  been  paid  off." 

"I  had  to  come  back.  An  old  barnacle  like  me  can't  get 
anything  to  do  ashore.  .About  all  an  old  sailor  could  do  on 
land  would  be  to  work  along  the  docks,  and  to  get  in  coal  for 
gentlemen.  There  are  too  many  longshore-men  now,  and  the 
niggers  do  all  the  rest  of  the  work.  We  are  going  to  free  the 
niggers  to  make  the  white  men  slaves.  That's  ray  opinion. 
If  I  was  only  twenty  years  younger,  I'd  live,  I  would." 

"  Well,  you  live  now.     How  would  you  live?" 

"  I'd  make  a  long  cruise  to  China,  save  ray  pay,  come  home 
and  buy  a  farm.  Then  I  would  get  some  snug,  clipper-built, 
little  woman  to  be  Mrs.  Harrington,  and  settle  down  to  raising 
potatoes  and  pigs." 

"You  would  give  up  salt  water?" 

"  Not  exactly  ;  I  should  have  a  water  front  to  ray  place, 
where  I  could  keep  a  sail-boat,  do  some  fishing,  and  see  the  big 
ships  going  to  sea." 

"You'd  get  mighty  homesick  with  no  smell  of  tar  and 
bilge    water,    and    wish    yourself   aboard    every    vessel    that 


"  'No  I  wouldn't,  sir,  begging  your  pardon." 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    AVAR.  173 

"  I  think  you  would.  Every  sailor  longs  for  a  farm,  and 
plans  what  he  will  do  when  the  cruise  is  over.  It  seems  as  if 
the  deprivation  of  some  emanations  from  the  land  makes  him 
eager  to  possess  some,  and,  if  long  continued,  brings  on  scurvy. 
I  have  seen  a  sailor  after  a  long  voyage  rush  on  shore,  drop 
on  his  knees,  smell  the  fresh  soil  eagerly,  fill  his  hands  and 
mouth  with  it,  and  even  swallow  some.  When  a  sailor  gets 
ashore  with  a  pocket  full  of  hard-earned  dollars,  he  forgets 
all  about  the  country  life  he  has  longed  for  wiien  on  the  ocean, 
gets  into  bad  company,  spends  his  money  recklessly,  soon  finds 
himself  hard  up,  and  is  obliged  to  ship  again." 

"Some  sailors  do  that,  but  there  are  others  who  look  after 
their  kin,  help  educate  a  sister,  set  a  brother  up  in  business, 
support  a  widowed  mother,  or  give  the  old  man  a  lift." 

"  They  are  mighty  few,  Harrington,"  said  Henderson,  the 
captain  of  the  afterguard,  touching  his  cap  to  Careswell. 
"  The  Tiieutenant  is  right.  Everybody  in  this  world  is  made 
for  something,  and  we  are  made  for  the  sea.  When  we  get 
ashore  we  are  like  fish  out  of  water,  with  l)leared  eyes,  livid 
gills  and  rough  scales.  We  can't  breathe  freely  in  the  dirty 
roads  and  narrow  streets.  Tiiere's  no  use  kicking  against 
nature.  It's  our  ])art  to  take  the  ships  around  the  world,  and 
it's  the  j)art  of  other  men  to  plow,  sow,  reap  and  look  after 
cattle.  I  am  satisfied  where  I'm  put.  I'd  rather  weigh  an- 
chor, than  pry  out  a  stump ;  tar  down  a  stay,  than  hoe  a  row 
of  corn ;  and  reef  topsails  in  a  gale  of  sweet  wind,  than  feed 
the  pigs  and  be  poisoned  by  their  stink." 

"  Oh,  go  away,  young  man  !  wait  till  you've  been  to  sea  as 
long  as  I  have;  then  you  may  talk,"  replied  Harrington. 

"  That  reminds  me  of  an  old  doctor,  who  was  a  poor  logi- 
cian and  very  proud  of  his  diploma,"  said  Careswell.  "Occa- 
sionally some  sharp  fellow  would  corner  him  in  argument, 
then  he  would  close  the  conversation  by  saying,  '  It  is  very 
plain  to  me  you  have  not  had  a  regular  medical  education.' 
How  long  have  you  been  to  sea,  Henderson  ?" 

"  Going  on  nineteen  years,  sir;  twelve  years  in  Her  Majesty's 
Navy  and  seven  years  in  ours." 

"  Ours?    You  claim  the  United  States  as  your  home  then  ?" 

"Yes,  sir;  I  have  taken  the  oath  and  I  mean  to  stand  by 
it." 


174  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

"You  are  a  Scotchman,  I  believe?" 

"  Yes,  sir ;  I  am  a  native  of  Glasgow." 

"  Why  did  you  change  your  country  ?" 

"  Well,  the  truth  is,  Lieutenant,  I  was  tired  of  a  country 
where  the  poor  are  trodden  under  foot,  and  of  a  service  in 
which  the  sailors  are  treated  like  dogs." 

"  It  looks  very  much  as  if  we  were  going  to  have  war  with 
Great  Britain.  Which  side  would  you  fight  with  in  such  an 
event?" 

"  Which  side,  sir,  ?  Why,  on  the  side  of  the  United  States, 
of  course.  I  don't  owe  the  English  navy  anything.  They 
fed  us  poorly,  watered  our  grog,  and  flogged  us  for  the  slightest 
offences.  They  never  tried  the  cat  on  nie  but  once,  the  scoun- 
drels !  I  did  not  deserve  it,  and  I  deserted  a  few  days  after- 
wards." 

"  We  have  many  British  sailors  in  our  navy.  Do  you  think 
they  all  feel  as  you  do?" 

"  Yes,  sir;  to  a  man.  I  have  talked  with  many  of  them, 
and  I  know  it.  Treat  them  like  human  beings;  give  them 
good  grub  and  plenty  of  grog,  and  they  will  fight  as  long  as 
the  ship  will  hold  together." 

"  Eight-bells,  sir !"  said  the  quartermaster,  touching  his 
cap.    ■ 

"  Very  well,  make  it  so.  Tell  the  boatswain's  mate  to  call 
the  watch,  and  you  wake  up  Mr.  Bloss,"  said  Careswell. 

The  after  bell  was  struck,  the  bell  on  the  forecastle  an- 
swered, the  lookouts  called  their  stations,  "  Starboard  cathead," 
"  Port  gangway,"  etc.,  the  boatswain's  mate's  whistle  sounded 
in  the  hatchway,  and  his  voice  was  heard  calling,  "All  the 
starboard  watch  !"  Then  the  men  came  on  deck  grumbling 
and  cursing;  the  port  watch  went  quickly  below;  Mr.  Bloss 
relieved  Careswell,  who  turned  in,  and  all  became  quiet  except 
the  steady  tramp  of  the  men  on  duty. 

The  next  day  Careswell  was  relieved  from  watch  and  was 
busy  putting  provisions,  water,  instruments,  baggage  and  crew 
aboard  the  prize  sloop  Record,  and  getting  her  ready  for  sea. 
He  started  early  the  next  morning  for  Key  W^est,  with  orders 
to  turn  the  vessel  and  cargo  over  to  the  Prize  Court  and  to 
return  to  the  ship  by  the  first  conveyance.  He  had  a  bundle 
of  dispatches  for  Admiral  Bailey,  including  his  own  report  of 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  175 

the  expedition  up  Pease  Creek,  Coffer's  report  of  the  fight  and 
capture  upon  the  Caloosahatchie,  and  a  general  report  from 
Captain  Prescott.  The  run  to  Key  West  was  made  in  thirty- 
six  liours,  the  sloop  delivered  to  the  prize  commissioners,  the 
evidence  given  to  the  district  attorney,  and  the  dispatches 
handed  to  the  admiral.  The  sailors  were  sent  aboard  the 
Tahoma,  and  Careswell  took  up  his  quarters  at  the  Russell 
House,  which  was  anything  but  comfortable. 

Madam  Fontana  and  Laura  were  very  glad  to  see  him,  and 
had  numerous  questions  to  ask  about  the  coast,  the  service, 
the  danger,  Mr.  Bloss  and  the  Nautilus.  Careswell  visited 
the  ladies  and  went  to  ride  with  them  frequently  ;  dined  aboard 
the  different  naval  vessels  in  port  and  with  the  officers  of  the 
garrison;  supped  with  Captain  Temple  and  the  admiral; 
smoked,  played  cards  and  read  the  papers  at  the  Naval  Club, 
and  managed  to  fill  up  the  time  so  well  that  he  was  almost 
sorry  when  the  Union  came  along  after  three  weeks  to  take 
him  back  to  the  Nautilus.  He  visited  the  admiral  to  say 
good-bye,  received  a  bundle  of  dispatches  for  Captain  Prescott, 
and  was  given  a  fine  double-barreled  shotgun,  captured  on  the 
Record,  as  a  memento  of  the  fight  up  the  creek. 

"Tell  the  gentlemen  up  the  coast,  if  they  want  promotion, 
they  must  fight  for  it ;  there's  a  document  for  you  in  the  cap- 
tain's package,"  said  the  kind  old  admiral  with  twinkling  eyes 
and  a  significant  smile  at  Captain  Temple. 

Careswell  bade  adieu,  went  aboard  the  Union,  and  arrived 
on  board  his  own  ship  without  mishap.  The  mail  was  deliv- 
ered, and  soon  after  he  was  summoned  to  the  cabin. 

"  I  have  the  honor  to  present  to  you  your  promotion  to  the 
grade  of  Master,  with  my  hearty  approval  and  congratula- 
tions," said  Captain  Prescott,  handing  Careswell  an  open  en- 
velope containing  a  folded  document  and  shaking  his  hand 
cordially. 

"Thank  you,  sir!"  he  answered  joyfully. 

"  T  want  you  to  dine  with  me  to-day,  sir,  and  tell  me  the 
news  and  all  about  Key  West." 

"I  shall  be  most  happy,  sir;  but  I  would  like  to  go  and 
read  this  now." 

"  Very  well ;  two  o'clock,  remember  !" 

Careswell  retired,  opened  the  envelope  in  his  room  and  read  : 


176  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

"U.  S.  Flag  Ship  Dale, 

"Key  West,  September  12tli,  186-. 
"Sir: 

"  In  consequence  of  tlie  special  recommendation  of  your  commanding 
officer,  Captain  Prescott,  you  are  hereby  promoted  to  be  a  Master  in  tlie 
Navy  of  the  United  States ;  subject,  however,  to  the  approval  of  the  Secre- 
tary of  the  Navy. 

"  Eespectfully, 

"Theodorus  Bailey, 

"  Rear  Admiral. 
"  Commanding  E.  G.  B  Squadron. 
"Master  Harry  Careswell,  U.  S.  N, 
"  U.  S.  S.  Nautilus." 

Naval  officers  serve  their  country  from  patriotism  and  a 
sense  of  duty,  but  they  look  for  reward  in  promotion.  It  is 
the  incentive  to  study,  to  drill,  to  battle  with  the  elements  and 
to  face  the  cannon's  roar.  It  adds  insignia  to  the  uniform, 
importance  to  one's  position,  and  more  money  to  the  pay.  It 
is  the  goal  of  honorable  ambition,  and  the  sheet  of  parchment 
that  conveys  the  official  news  is  a  precious  document  to  the 
owner.  If  there  is  anything  dearer  than  a  love  letter,  it  is  a 
commission  of  higher  rank  to  an  officer. 

Careswell  read  his  commission  over  and  over  again,  now 
stopping  to  note  the  wor^ls  carefully,  now  looking  at  the  page 
with  satisfaction  and  delight.  He  had  his  reward  for  faithful 
service;  the  news  was  too  good  to  keep;  he  sought  his  brother 
officers,  and  showed  them  the  document.  He  was,  of  course, 
congratulated,  and  it  was  impressed  upon  him  immediately, 
that,  according  to  an  old  naval  custom,  he  must  "  wet  his 
commission,"  So  he  ordered  out  some  sherry  and  submitted 
gracefully  to  the  toasts  of  his  shipmates,  wishing  him  "  health, 
long  life  and  frequent  promotion." 

Considerable  change  had  occurred  in  and  about  Charlotte 
Harbor  during  Careswell's  brief  "absence.  Many  families  of 
refugees,  men,  women  and  children,  had  come  down  from  the 
main  land  and  squatted  upon  the  islands.  They  claimed  to  be 
loyal  to  the  United  States,  and  affirmed  they  had  always  been 
loyal,  but  had  been  obliged  to  remain  at  home  on  account  of 
the  ditKculty  of  getting  transportation  and  the  vigilant  watch 
kept  over  them  by  the  rebel  forces.  They  had  finally  escaped 
in  dug-outs  and  upon  rafts,  and  had  poled  and  paddled  from 
island  to  island,  until  they  had  been  seen  from  the  ship  and 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  177 

rescued.  They  took  the  oath  of  allegiance  to  the  United 
States,  and  were,  thereafter,  supplied  with  regular  ship's  ra- 
tions. They  cleared  some  of  the  fertile  spots  upon  the  islands ; 
planted  sweet  potatoes,  beans  and  melons ;  built  huts  with 
poles,  grass  and  palmetto  leaves;  bartered  fish  and  game  with 
the  sailors  for  tobacco,  and  settled  down  into  the  indolent  life 
of  the  Southern  cracker.  They  cooked  the  tops  of  young 
palmetto  trees,  caught  gophers  and  fish,  shot  curlew,  drew 
their  rations,  and  lived  better  than  they  ever  had  before. 
Their  clothing  was  ragged  and  variegated.  As  piece  after 
piece  disappeared  before  the  thorns  of  the  thickets  and  the 
tooth  of  time,  they  were  supplied  with  the  cast-off  garments 
of  the  sailors,  which  were  worn  indifferently  by  both  sexes 
and  all  ages.  The  effect  of  this  mingling  of  Florida  styles 
and  naval  fashions  was  exceedingly  grotesque. 

These  people  were  thin,  yellow  and  tough;  of  a  low  order 
of  intellect;  unable  to  read  or  write;  ignorant  of  the  world 
and  its  inhabitants;  licentious,  indolent,  selfish  and  filthy. 
They  represented  the  lowest  order  of  crackers.  They  had  no 
conception  of  the  nature  of  an  oath  or  of  fealty  to  the  Gov- 
ernment. They  were  starving  upon  the  main  land ;  they 
heard  the  naval  vessels  would  feed  even  the  slaves,  and,  there- 
fore, made  their  way  as  rapidly  as  possible  to  the  source  of 
such  extraordinary  and  munificent  bounty. 

The  settlements  were  not  intended  to  be  permanent ;  they 
depended  upon  the  blockading  vessels  for  support  and  protec- 
tion, and,  without  them,  the  choice  would  have  been  starvation 
or  emigration. 

Uzeppa  Key  (Lacosta  Island)  lies  just  south  of  the  principal 
entrance  (Boca  Grande)  to  Charlotte  Harbor.  It  is  legendary 
among  the  natives  of  Florida,  that  it  was  formerly  a  rendez- 
vous and  hiding-place  for  pirates  of  the  West  Indies.  The 
largest  squatter  camp  was  located  upon  its  inner  shore  ;  a  small 
one  was  upon  a  little  island  near  Punta  Rassa ;  another  was 
at  Fort  Myers;  a  few  huts  were  scattered  at  other  convenient 
points,  and  Salvini  remained  monarch  of  his  own  little  realm. 

A  Captain  Crine  had  been  in  command  of  a  company  of 
volunteers  during  the  Seminole  war  and  knew  every  foot  of 
the  west  coast  country.  He  had  lived  at  Tampa  Bay  with 
his  family  before  the  war,  and  had  entered  the  United  States 


J  (  O  CRUISING    AXD    BLOCKADING. 

service  early  as  a  pilot.  He  knew  all  the  crackers  by  name 
and  reputation,  and  his  services  were  valuable  in  regulating 
them  and  settling  their  differences.  He  was  looked  upon  by 
them,  as  chief  of  the  nomads,  and  they  were  ready  to  do  his 
slightest  bidding.  The  refugees  were  numerous  at  every 
blockading  station  and  at  Key  West,  and  had  become  a  great 
burden  upon  the  resources  of  the  squadron.  It  was  resolved 
to  organize  the  able-bodied  men  into  a  company;  uniform, 
equip  and  drill  them,  and  make  them  useful  upon  the  rivers 
of  the  peninsula  in  enticing  rebels  to  desert  and  in  catching 
wild  cattle.  They  were  sent  to  Key  West,  the  old  men  and 
boys  were  left  to  care  for  the  families,  and  Captain  Crine  was 
selected  for  the  command.  He  had  a  difficult  task,  but  after 
some  weeks  the  force  was  considered  able  to  take  care  of  a  post, 
and  was  sent  to  Fort  Myers. 

There  were  several  families  already  at  the  fort ;  some  others 
were  permitted  to  remove  there  from  Charlotte  Harbor,  and 
these,  with  the  garrison,  made  the  most  important  settlement 
on  the  coast  south  of  Tampa. 

The  block-houses  in  the  angles  of  the  stockaded  fort  were 
occupied  by  squads  of  men;  the  river  bank  was  patrolled,  and 
the  Rosalie  was  brought  up  and  anchored  off  the  fort  to 
cover  it  with  her  single  gun.  Captain  Crine  took  up  his 
quarters  in  the  old  hospital  and  maintained  martial  law. 
Nothing  occurred  to  disturb  the  serenity  of  the  garrison  ;  few 
deserters  came  in;  no  cattle  were  found  near,  and  the  whole 
region  seemed  abandoned  by  the  Confederates.  This  inaction 
did  not  suit  a  man  of  such  ardent  and  energetic  character  as 
Captain  Crine,  and  he  made  raids  far  away  from  the  fort  in 
search  of  cattle  and  rebels.  Some  cattle  were  shot  and  several 
men  captured,  but  he  met  with  no  resistance.  The  news  of 
his  doings  finally  reached  Tallahassee,  and  a  company  of 
mounted  infantry  was  gathered  in  the  interior  and  sent  down 
the  Caloosahatchie  to  check  his  operations  and  drive  him  from 
the  fort.  The  refugee  soldiers  knew  the  fate  that  awaited 
them  if  they  should  be  beaten,  as  some  of  their  neighbors  had 
been  captured  awhile  before  upon  Pease  Creek  and  shot.  It 
was  supposed  they  would  fight,  not  only  for  themselves,  but 
for  their  families. 

The  rebels  made  an  unexpected  night  attack,  captured  some 


A    NAVAL,   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  179 

of  the  block -houses,  tore  down  a  part  of  the  stockade,  drove 
the  soldiers  into  the  buildings  along  the  river,  and  endeavored 
to  fire  them.  Captain  Crine  rushed  here  and  there,  urged  the 
men  to  resistance,  stormed  at  their  cowardice,  cursed  the  women 
and  children  who  were  clinging  to  the  men,  and  exposed  him- 
self recklessly  to  the  fire  of  the  enemy.  A  boat  was  sent  to 
the  Rosalie  with  an  order  to  fire  ov^er  the  houses;  a  shower  of 
canister  rattled  through  the  woods;  the  refugees  took  courage 
and  began  a  brisk  fire  of-rausketry,  and  the  rebels  were  finally 
forced  to  retire,  having  lost  several  men  and  horses.  A  few 
refugees  were  killed  and  wounded  and  one  man  was  missing. 
This  was  a  man  who  had  spied  all  along  the  coast,  gathered 
up  all  the  information  he  could,  and  deserted  to  the  enemy. 

After  this  example  of  rebel  courage  and  refugee  cowardice, 
Captain  Crine,  who,  upon  the  same  ground,  had  helped  to 
whip  the  Seminoles  years  before,  did  not  take  much  interest 
in  raiding,  but  kept  his  men  within  the  stockade  and  repaired 
the  breaches.  The  post  had  been  garrisoned  by  the  enthusi- 
astic and  brave  captain  for  a  specific  purpose,  and  his  great 
expectations  had  not  been  realized.  He  informed  the  admiral 
of  the  attack  and  narrow  escape,  and  of  the  unreliability  of 
his  raw  recruits,  and  advised  the  abandonment  of  the  fort. 

A  few  weeks  afterwards  the  place  was  evacuated  ;  the  soldiers 
were  distributed  to  the  different  stations  and  permitted  to  re- 
lapse into  cracker  barbarism  ;  the  Rosalie  returned  to  her  sta- 
tion at  the  mouth  of  the  river,  and  no  further  attempt  was 
made  to  establish  an  armv  of  occupation. 

"Shiver  my  timbers,  if  I  see  any  sense  in  painting  the 
Nautilus  lead  color?"  growled  old  Brenneman  one  night  by 
the  mainmast  to  Mr.  Bloss  who  was  on  watch. 

"Paint  the  ship  lead  color?  Who  ever  mentioned  such  an 
idea?"  asked  Bloss. 

"  The  executive  told  me  to-day  the  order  came  up  by  the 
last  mail." 

"  Well,  well !  the  ways  of  the  Department  are  past  finding 
out.  Here  we  are  fitted  up  to  imitate  an  Englishman  at  short 
notice,  and  now  they  want  to  paint  us  like  the  bummers 
that  lie  against  the  mud-banks  of  the  Mississippi.  The  next 
thing  will  be  to  paint  vessels  that  sail  among  verdant  islands, 
green  ;  those  that  skirt  rocky  coasts,  brown,  and  the  open  sea 


180  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

cniij-ers,  dark  blue.  We  shall  have  a  picturesque  fleet,  and 
care  must  be  exercised  in  selecting  their  crews  to  have  their 
complexions  agreeing.     You  can  then  sing, 

"  I  once  sailed  in  an  old  lime-juicer, 
Now  I  belong  to  a  dark  blue  cruiser ; 
I  receive  good  grub  and  excellent  grog, 
And  I'm  a  merry  old  sea-dog." 

"  Ha !  ha !  ha !  but  you  are  a  poet,  Lieutenant.  Do  you 
think  we  shall  stay  here  much  longer,  sir?" 

"  I  think  not.  They  have  built  many  new  ships  at  the 
North  ;  Richmond  is  pretty  well  scared ;  the  war  must  soon 
be  over,  and  we  need  repairs  greatly." 

"If  we  stay  here  much  longer,  we  will  ground  on  the  beef 
bones,  sir.  When  the  cook  brought  the  men's  beef  in  the 
skid  to  the  mainmast  to-day  at  seven-bells,  to  be  inspected  by 
the  deck-officer,  he  said  it  was  the  last  chunk  of  the  old  Texas 
bull.  Mr.  Sanborn  tasted  it  and  said  it  came  from  Portland. 
What  did  he  mean  by  that,  sir?" 

"  Why,  did  you  never  hear  about  the  old  horse,  Brenne?" 

"  No,  sir ;  what  abouthim  ?" 

"  Why  this,  a  sailor  asked  his  junk  of  beef, 

"  '  Old  horse,  old  horse,  how  came  you  here  ?' 
"  The  beef  answered, 

■'  '  FVom  Saco  Head  to  Portland  Pier, 

I've  carted  stone  this  many  a  year, 
Till  killed  by  sorrow  and  sore  abuse, 

They've  salted  ine  down  for  sailor's  use.'  " 

"Ha!  ha!  that's  good!  I've  eaten  a  great  deal  cf  salt- 
horse  in  my  time,  but  I  never  thought  it  was  real  horse  uieal," 
said  Brenneraan. 

"  Neither  is  it,  but  horse  meat  ought  to  be  good." 
"  I  suppose  it  is  as  good  as  the  alligator  steaks  you  had  in 
camp  last  week,  sir," 

"  Yes,  and  the  porpoise  cutlets  we  tried  off  Hatteras." 
Mr.  Bloss  walked  away  aft,  took  a  look  all  round  the  ship, 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  181 

and  noticed  the  lookout  on  the  midshipman's  deck  leaning 
across  the  spanker  boom  fast  asleep. 

Did  he  report  him,  have  him  court-martialed  and  put  on 
bread  and  water,  or  order  him  triced  up  in  the  rigging?  Not 
at  all ;  he  picked  up  the  end  of  a  rope  and  laid  it  across  his 
legs  vigorously,  so  that  the  youngster  danced  a  hornpipe. 

"Sleep  on  watch,  will  yon,  you  vagabond?"  said  Bloss. 
"  Take  advantage  of  my  back  being  turned  and  neglect  your 
duty  ?  Lay  across  that  boom  in  this  heavy  dew  and  dream 
of  home,  and  let  the  rebels  come  up  astern  and  blow  the  ship 
out  of  water  ?" 

"  Couldn't  sleep  below,  sir,  on  account  of  mosquitoes." 

"  You  couldn't,  hey  ?  Well,  you'll  get  your-death  of  cold 
and  give  the  doctor  a  job.  You'll  be  sent  to  Davy  Jones' 
locker  the  first  thing  you  know.  You  lazy,  good-for-nothing 
lubber !  Get  up  on  the  boom  now  and  straddle  it,  and  stay 
there  till  eight-bells  !     Do  you  hear  ?" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir !" 

"  Keep  a  sharp  lookout  then  !" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir  !" 

Mr.  Bloss  walked  the  quarter-deck  for  half  an  hour,  think- 
ing of  the  difference  between  moral  suasion  and  the  persuasion 
of  a  rope's-end,  and  between  colored  and  white  slaves,  occa- 
sionally humming  an  air  from  Faust  or  II  Trovatore. 

''Poor  fellows,"  thought  he,  "they  do  have  a  hard  time  of 
it.  When  they  were  freezing  up  North,  we  had  a  red-hot  shot 
to  toast  our  shins  by  in  the  wardroom.  When  they  were 
sweltering  on  the  berth  deck  north  of  Cuba,  or  nearly  roast- 
ing at  the  furnaces  in  a  temperature  of  134°  F.,  we  were  fan- 
ning ourselves  under  the  windsails  and  sipping  iced  claret  and 
sherry.  Now  they  are  pestered  and  deprived  of  sleep  by  the 
mosquitoes,  while  we  get  in  behind  our  nets  and  slumber 
peacefully." 

He  stopped  by  the  after  howitzer  and  said,  "  Dyer,  come 
down  out  of  that  and  come  here  !" 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir  !"  said  the  youngster,  hastening  down. 

"Are  you  sorry  you  slept  on  watch ?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Will  you  promise  never  to  do  it  again  ?  " 

"I'll  try,  sir." 


182  CRUISING   AKD   BLOCKADING. 

"  Very  well.  Go  and  call  the  ship's  cook  and  the  stewards, 
it's  nearly  four-bells." 

"  Aye,  aye,  sir  !" 

"  Four-bells,  sir,"  said  the  quartermaster. 

"Make  it  so.  Pierce,  tell  the  boatswain's  mate  to  get  out 
the  buckets,  brooms  and  holystones,  and  wash  down  the  decks 
and  scrub  the  paint." 

"Aye,  aye,  sir !" 

Mr.  Bloss  took  off  his  shoes  and  stockings,  turned  up  his 
pants,  and  pattered  around  the  deck  looking  after  the  work. 
The  firemen  hoisted  up  and  dumped  the  ashes  overboard ; 
the  gunner's  mate  cleaned  the  guns  ;  the  boys  scoured  the 
brasswork,  and  the  watch  dashed  water,  sprinkled  sand,  dragged 
the  holystones  back  and  forth,  and  scrubbed  the  decks  and 
bulwarks  till  they  were  as  clean  as  a  dresser  in  a  Pennsylvania 
farm-house.  About  six-bells  work  was  temporarily  suspended, 
the  men  got  some  coffee,  and  Mr.  Bloss  had  a  cupful  with 
some  hard-tack  brought  to  him  by  his  colored  wanlroom  boy; 
then  the  cleaning  up  was  finished ;  the  ropes  were  hauled  taut 
and  coiled  down ;  the  boatswain  went  out  ahead  of  the  ship 
in  one  of  the  cutters  and  whistled  and  made  signals  with  a 
flag  to  one  of  his  mates,  who  squared  the  yards ;  the  ham- 
mocks were  piped  up  and  stowed  in  the  netting ;  the  watch 
below  was  j)iped  to  breakfast;  the  executive  came  on  deck  and 
relieved  Bloss  to  make  his  toilet,  and  the  booby,  that  roosted 
nightly  on  the  starboard  foretopsail  yard-arm,  flew  away  to 
get  his  breakfast.  When  the  colors  were  hoisted  at  eight-bells, 
there  was  not  a  cleaner  or  trimmer  ship  than  the  Nautilus  in 
the  United  States  Navy. 

And  this  beautiful  vessel  was  to  be  painted  lead  color. 
That  fact  made  all  the  officers  groan.  She  was  painted,  never- 
theless, the  next  week,  and  her  inhabitants  could  not  recognize 
their  home  afterwards,  so  great  was  the  change  in  her  appear- 


A    NAVAL  STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  183 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

There  was  considerable  growling  amongst  the  wardroom 
officers  at  the  caterer,  who  had  served  ever  since  leaving 
Philadelphia,  because  of  his  heavy  assessments.  The  pay- 
master had  that  honorable  and  lucrative  office,  and  had  charged 
each  member  of  the  mess  fifty-five  dollars  a  month  for  grub 
and  wines.  He  said  the  wine  bill  was  heavier  than  the  food 
bill,  because  so  many  officers  and  other  visitors  had  been 
entertained  from  the  very  start.  This  was  true;  there  was  no 
redress  for  the  entertainers  except  to  growl,  and  growl  some- 
body did  at  every  meal.  A  sailor  who  cannot  growl  has 
something  serious  the  matter  with  him. 

The  doctor  started  the  talk  one  day  at  dinner  by  saying, 
"  The  paymaster  calls  himself  a  Christian  and  charges  the 
mess  for  pickles." 

"  Well,  pickles  cost,  and  I  don't  know  anyone  who  eats 
more  of  them  than  you  do,"  was  the  paymaster's  reply. 

"  You  promised  to  keep  run  of  the  wines  ordered,  and  to 
credit  those  who  did  not  drink  and  charge  those  who  did," 
said  Lawson. 

"  I  have  been  trying  to  do  that,  but  haven't  found  anyone 
yet  who  belongs  to  the  credit  side." 

"  We're  a  band  of  brothers,"  observed  Bloss. 

"  Seriously,  Pay.,  you  do  give  us  too  many  beans,"  said 
Careswell.  "Now,  for  my  part,  I  can  stand  them  often,  but 
when  we  get  them  twenty-one  times  a  week,  it's  a  little 
monotonous." 

"  You  ought  not  to  complain,  Careswell ;  you  know  you 
were  brought  up  on  them.  Beans  and  codfish  are  the  usual 
aliment  of  New  Englanders,"  answered  the  paymaster. 

"  Well,  give  us  some  codfish  occasionally  for  a  change ;  I've 
not  seen  a  Cape  Cod  turkey  for  a  year." 

"  No,  but  you've  had  lots  of  Florida  chickens." 

"Chickens?     Not  one." 

"  Yes,  sir ;  Florida  chickens  are  gophers  alias  terrapin." 


181  CRUISING   AND   BI-OCKADIKG. 

"  They  are  the  first  foiir-legged  chickens  I  ever  saw." 

"You  know  that  large  one  tlie  captain  had  running  around 
the  deck  ?" 

"  Yes." 

"  I  harnessed  him  to  a  camp-stool  and  he  drew  it  all  about. 
He  raised  himself  with  George  Washington,  who  weighs  a 
hundred  pounds,  standing  upon  his  shell,  and  moved  ahead  a 
little.  If  an  elephant  had  proportionate  strength,  he  could 
haul  a  meeting-house.  One  of  the  boys,  I  guess  it  was 
George,  painted  C.  S.  on  his  shell  in  lead  color.  He  said  it 
was  for  Confederate  States.  The  captain  was  wrathy  when  be 
saw  the  decoration." 

"  It  will  not  hurt  him  for  soup,"  said  Bloss. 

"What  time  does  the  evening  train  pass?"  asked  Ashton. 

"  About  sunset,"  answered  Bldss. 

"  What  is  the  evening  train  ?"  inquired  the  payinaster. 

"The  pelicans  that  cross  the  harbor  to  roost  in  the  trees  on 
Mangrove  Island,"  said  Bloss.  "They  fly  in  a  straight  line 
near  together,  and  go  so  regularly  that  we  call  them  the  eve- 
ning express  train." 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  seen  them." 

"  When  in  camp  the  o^her  day,  I  shot  one  through  the  bill 
with  my  revolver  at  a  hundred  yards  distance,"  said  Careswell. 
"He  was  on  the  river,  and  just  swam  round  and  round  in  a 
circle  until  I  went  out  in  the  boat  and  caught  him.  We  kept 
him  in  camp  some  hours  and  then  he  flew  away.  The  hole 
will  not  prevent  his  catching  fish." 

"  Which  side  did  the  bullet  enter?"  asked  the  doctor. 

"The  right  side." 

"  Which  way  did  he  turn  ?" 

"To  the  left." 

"  That's  correct ;  the  concussion  caused  agitation  and  a  cur- 
rent in  the  horizontal  semicircular  canal  of  the  internal  ear; 
disturbed  the  equilibrium  and  sense  of  space,  and  induced  the 
peculiar  gyrations." 

"  All  right,  Doctor,"  said  Bloss.  "  The  hypothenuse  of  the 
diatom  came  in  collision  with  the  diaeresis  of  the  ventriculum, 
and  caused  a  parallax  of  the  proboscis." 

Everybody  laughed  heartily,  and  Ashton  said,  "  It's  my 
opinion,  he  swam  around  to  the  left  to  get  away  from  the  in- 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  185 

jury  that  he  felt  from  the  right,  and  I  think  he  was  right  in 
going  to  the  left." 

This  unexpected  play  from  so  stern  a  man  as  Ashton 
evoked  applause. 

"Why  don't  you  give  us  a  pelican  stew,  Pay.?"  asked 
Bloss. 

"  Are  they  good  to  eat?" 

"Certainly;  they  are  excellent,  only  a  little  fishy." 

"  Don't  do  it,  Pay.,"  said  Careswell ;  "  he's  joking.  Peli- 
can stew !  If  you  feed  this  crowd  on  such  stuff,  you'll  be 
impeached.     They  are  worse  than  crow." 

"Have  you  tried  them?"  asked  Bloss. 

"  Yes  ;  we  cooked  one  in  camp,  when  fresh  grub  was  scarce. 
He  did  not  need  seasoning." 

"  How  about  alligator  steak  ?" 

"Oh,  it  is  delicious  and  smoky,  especially  if  old.  Young 
ones  ought  to  be  tolerable." 

"  What  a  blessing  it  is  to  have  canned  things.  I  think  the 
blueberry  pies  our  steward  makes  are  delicious." 

"  So  say  we  all  of  us,"  said  Lawson. 

"  There  are  too  many  necks  in  the  canned  chicken,"  said 
Careswell. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Bloss,  "  it  is  often  neck  or  nothing." 

"  Joshua,  give  Mr.  Bloss  a  glass  of  my  sherry,  he  has  been 
to  a  necropsy,"  said  the  doctor. 

"  All  right.  Doctor ;  here's  your  health,  and  I  hope  you'll 
not  have  any  on  us  fellows,"  said  Bloss. 

"  Your  health,  Bloss,"  said  the  doctor,  emptying  his  glass. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  Quaker  color  for  a  fighting  man- 
of-war,  Mr.  Felton?"  asked  Ashton. 

"  I  don't  like  it.  It's  a  notion  put  into  the  Secretary's  head 
by  some  of  the  Mississippi  captains.  I  don't  like  Quaker 
colors  or  Quaker  principles.  Quakers  are  a  set  of  religious 
fanatics,  who  stick  to  their  colors,  but  would  not  fight  for  the 
flag." 

"  No,  but  they  are  doing  as  much  good  at  home  as  they 
could  in  the  service.  They  are  taking  care  of  the  sick  in  the 
hospitals,  and  contributing  largely  to  the  support  of  the  Sani- 
tary Commission.  If  they  are  not  in  arms,  they  are  giving 
aid  and  comfort  to  those  who  are." 


186  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

"  That's  a  fact,"  observed  Careswell ;  "  I  saw  many  Quaker 
ladies  visiting  the  Cherry  St.  and  Catherine  St,  hospitals,  in 
Philadelphia,  and  carrying  in  baskets  filled  with  dainties  for 
the  poor  wounded  fellows." 

"  Well,  I  suppose  they  are  useful  there,"  said  Felton,  "but 
I  am  opposed  to  so  much  sectarianism  in  religion.  Why  can't 
all  the  people  belong  to  the  Episcopal  church?  It  is  the  old 
historic  church  purified,  and  its  service  is  beautiful  and 
satisfying." 

"Just  because  that  church  requires  decided  convictions  of 
sin  and  a  belief  in  fixed  formulas,"  remarked  the  paymaster. 

"  That's  all  right.  It  is  better  to  have  formulas  fixed  by 
the  Apostles,  than  to  let  sinners  fix  them  to  suit  themselves, 
and  then  get  ministers  with  elastic  consciences  to  rehearse  for 
them.     I  believe  in  one  church." 

"So  we  all  do,  except  Lawson,  and  he's  going  to  perdition 
anyhow,"  said  Bloss. 

"  Come,  let's  go  and  smoke,"  said  the  doctor ;  "  I  don't  eat 
dinner  because  I  want  it,  but  in  order  to  have  a  smoke  after- 
wards." The  gentlemen  pushed  back  their  camp-stools  and 
chairs  and  went  up  on  deck. 

"  Did  you  hear  about  the  captain's  tishing,  Lawson  ?"  asked 
Careswell. 

"]So;  was  he  fishing?" 

"  Yes,  over  the  stern,  and  he  had  a  bite  that  nearly  pulled 
him  overboard." 

"Did  he?     What  was  it?" 

"A  Jew-fish.  He  got  him  aboard  with  the  help  of  a  har- 
poon and  a  boat-hook.     Guess  what  he  weighed." 

"  Fifty  pounds." 

"  No,  sir !  He  weighed  exactly  two  hundred  and  thirty-one 
pounds." 

"  The  dickens !     What  did  he  do  with  him  ?" 

"  Threw  him  overboard.  Jew-fish  are  coarse  and  not  good 
eating." 

"  Is  that  a  fish  story  ?" 

'•  No,  the  absolute  truth,  isn't  it,  Pay.  ?" 

"  Yes  " 

"Lawson,  how  did  you  catch  that  lovely  sheepshead  to- 
day ?"  asked  the  paymaster. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF    THE   LATE    WAR.  187 

"  I  pitclied  him  a  piece  of  pork  on  a  hook,  just  off  the  point 
of  Uzeppa  Key,  and  he  took  it  like  a  gourmand." 

"  Did  you  fisii  from  the  shore?" 

"Yes;  I  just  walked  along  and  threw  the  line  out  as  far 
as  possible." 

"  Is  that  all  you  caught?" 

"  Yes,  but  1  had  lots  of  bites  from  mosquitoes  and  sand- 
fleas." 

"  He  will  make  a  delicious  breakfast  for  the  whole  mess." 

"  Yes,  and  I  won't  charge  you  for  him.  Did  you  ever  see 
fish  so  ])lenty  as  they  are  in  this  harbor?  It  is  alive  with 
them,  and,  when  porpoises,  sharks  and  dog-fish  come  swim- 
ming in,  they  rush  in  such  shoals  as  to  make  the  water  fairly 
boil.  I  never  thought  I  should  like  fish  so  well.  I  prefer 
the  mullet  to  all  others,  they  are  so  delicate  and  juicy.  They 
can  be  fried  in  their  own  fat,  but  a  little  pork  improves  the 
flavor." 

"  Yes ;  they  are  to  my  taste  better  than  trout  or  salmon, 
and  a  single  cast  of  the  seine  is  sufficient  to  load  the  boat  half 
fidl  of  them.  The  men  enjoy  them  very  much ;  all  the  messes 
have  commuted  some  of  their  rations  this  month.  Salvini 
says  they  used  to  ship  large  quantities  of  them  to  Havana  be- 
fore the  war,  and  the  principal  business  done  at  the  fish-house 
on  the  Caloosahatchie  was  in  salting  and  ])acking  them  in 
barrels  for  the  New  York  and  West  India  trade." 

"That  pig  Salvini  gave  us  jumped  through  a  gun-port  to- 
day and  swam  a  mile  before  he  was  caught,"  said  the  doctor. 

"Did  he  cut  his  throat?"  asked  Bloss. 

"No;  I  don't  believe  they  hurt  themselves  swimming. 
It's  all  moonshine.  This  pig  swam  almost  as  fast  as  the  boat 
went,  and  hadn't  a  scratch.'' 

"He  evidently  don't  like  man-of-war  life." 

"No;  swill  is  scarce  and  there's  no  dirt  aboard." 

"  You  always  see  everything.  Doctor.  I  wish  I  had 
nothing  to  do  but  loaf  about  decks  as  you  do." 

"  Loafing  is  sorry  work,  Bloss.  I'd  rather  be  a  watch-  . 
officer  than  a  surgeon,  as  far  as  work  is  concerned." 

"  Well,  I'll  trade  professions  with  you." 

"Salvini  has  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  Careswell  because  he 
talked  French  with  him."  said  the  doctor.     "The  old  man 


188  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

has  not  lieard  tlie  familiar  tongue  since  he  came  away  from 
Corsica,  twenty-eight  years  ago." 

"He  wants  me  to  buy  a  schooner,"  said  Careswell,  "and 
come  down  here  after  the  war  and  carry  fish  to  Havana.  He 
says  he  and  his  son  will  help,  and  I  can  clear  two  or  three 
thousand  dollars  a  year.     What  a  prospect  for  a  naval  officer!" 

"And  what  about  the  daughter?"  asked  Bloss. 

"The  lovely  creature  was  not  mentioned." 

"  He  expects  you  will  marry  Marie." 

"  Of  course,  he  does,"  said  tlie  doctor,  "  and  there's  your 
fate  and  fortune  all  mapped  out  for  you." 

"  Yes,  but  I  don't  fancy  the  life  nor  the  alliance. 

"  '  Better  twenty  years  of  Europe, 
Than  a  cycle  of  Cathay.'  " 

"Ah  !  Careswell,  you  know  the  girl  is  lovely,"  said  Bloss, 
"and  rather  more  intelligent  than  the  average  Floridian,  yet, 
you  turn  up  your  aristocratic  nose  at  such  prospects. 

"  '  A  simple  maiden  in  her  flower 
Is  worth  a  hundred  coats  of  arms.' " 

"The  offer  is  open  to  any  of  you  who  can  navigate," 
replied  Careswell. 

"Your  heart  is  not  your  own,"  said  the  doctor ;  "it's  my 
opinion  you  are  engaged  to  that  Philadelphia  girl  or  else  dead 
in  love  with  Laura." 

"  Oh,  it  is  Laura,  of  course,"  said  Bloss. 

"Well,  have  it  your  own  way,"  said  Careswell  coolly, 
knocking  the  ashes  off  of  his  cigar.  "  It's  my  opinion  from 
sundry  billets  doux  that  I  have  seen  come  and  go,  not  to  men- 
tion the  basket  of  oranges,  that  madam  has  struck  you  in  a 
vital  part." 

"That's  in  his  stomach,"  said  the  paymaster;  which  allu- 
sion to  Bloss'  corpulence  and  love  of  good  living  caused  shouts 
of  laughter. 

That  night  everyone  in  the  wardroom  had  turned  in  except 
the  Paymaster  and  Careswell,  who  were  writing  letters  upon 
the  table  and  conversing  in  low  tones  about  their  friends  in 
the  North.     It  had  been  very  sultry  during  the  evening,  and 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  189 

the  black  clouds  of  one  of  those  sudden  squalls  so  common  in 
the  latitude  began  to  pile  up  in  the  west  and  blot  out  the  stars. 
The  blackness  soon  spread  across  the  heavens;  the  wind 
rushed  over  the  waters  in  violent  gusts  that  made  the  ship's 
rigging  vibrate  in  mournful  tones;  the  lightning  flashed  in 
broad  sheets  behind  the  clouds  and  darted  from  cloud  to  cloud 
and  earthward  in  fiery  lines,  and  a  few  large  rain-drops  pat- 
tered upon  the  deck — the  advance  guard  of  the  torrent  to 
follow. 

Suddenly  a  vivid  flash  of  light  filled  the  ship,  a  smell  of 
ozone  was  in  the  air,  a  terrific  crash  smote  the  ear,  and  the  two 
gentlemen,  stunned  and  terrified,  rushed  upon  deck,  followed 
by  the  awakened  sleepers.  The  bells  rang  the  fire-alarm,  and 
all  the  officers  and  men  were  soon  at  their  posts  prepared  to 
fight  the  flames.  An  examination  showed  that  the  lightning 
had  shivered  the  foretopgallant  mast  into  splinters,  run  down 
the  foremast,  and  scattered  upon  the  chain  cables  upon  deck 
and  in  the  l)Oxes  below,  but  had  not  started  any  fire.  Just 
behind  the  boxes  was  the  magazine,  containing  several  tons  of 
powder  and  loaded  shell. 

The  escape  from  instant  destruction  was  miraculous,  and 
there  were  many  pale  faces  and  trembling  voices  both  forward 
and  aft,  as  the  men  were  ])ij)ed  below. 

The  first  death  in  the  ship  occurred  the  next  day.  A  poor, 
decr'epit  negro,  named  Jacob,  who  had  come  down  to  the  sta- 
tion in  search  of  food  and  freedom,  succumbed  to  debility, 
occasioned  by  many  exposures  and  an  untreated  ague.  The 
carpenter  made  him  a  neat  pine  coffin,  and  he  was  taken 
ashore  and  buried  on  the  sandy  point,  where  Mr.  Sanborn 
read  the  Episcopal  burial  service  and  the  boat's  crew  acted  as 
chief  mourners. 

He  had  not  been  long  on  board  and  was  not  much  missed, 
but  the  event  caused  a  general  sadness  that  lasted  several 
days.  Death  on  board  a  ship  is  like  death  in  a  little  village, 
where  neighbors  are  knit  together  by  the  strongest  ties  of  in- 
terest and  brotherhood,  and  departure  leaves  a  void  which  is 
painfully  apparent. 

The  U.  S.  S.  James  Battles  was  signaled  outside  the  next 
morning,  and  quite  a  communication  was  held  with  her  by 


190  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

means  of  the  signal  flags  and  book.  She  was  bound  up  the 
coast  and  soon  disappeared. 

In  the  afternoon  the  Tahoma  and  the  Honduras  came  in 
from  Key  West  and  borrowed  Mr.  Crine,  as  pilot  for  an  ex- 
pedition against  the  rebels  at  Tampa  Bay. 

They  sailed  the  next  morning,  and  cheers  were  given  aboard 
the  Nautilus  and  returned  by  them  as  they  passed  out  to  sea. 

The  next  week  the  U.  S.  schooner  Sea  Bird,  Capt.  Clark, 
dropped  anchor  for  a  day,  and  brought  the  news  that  the  ex- 
pedition to  Tampa  had  captured  a  steamer  loaded  with  cotton, 
burned  a  steamer  and  a  slooji,  and  whipped  the  rebels  badly, 
with  a  loss  of  seven  men,  ten  being  killed  on  the  other  side — 
a  small  loss,  considering  the  danger  of  cutting  out  vessels  pro- 
tected by  shore  batteries. 

Everybody  aboard  the  Nautilus  envied  the  men  who  had 
taken  part  in  the  fight.  They  lamented  their  inactivity  and 
"inglorious  ease"  upon  a  dull  blockading  station,  and  would 
have  preferred  a  fight  with  all  its  attendant  risks  to  life  to  the 
humdrum  of  the  daily  routine. 

"'I  thought  to  stand  where  banners  waved,'"  said  Cares- 
well  one  day  at  the  dinner-table,  "and  I  find  nothing  but  the 
wash-clothes  drying  in  the  rigging.  1  think  I'll  apply  for  an 
ironclad." 

"  Well,  you're  a  queer  one,  anyway !"  said  Bloss.  "Here 
we  live  on  the  fat  of  the  land  with  home  trimmings;  get  our 
regular  mail  and  sleep;  drill  a  little;  shoot,  fish,  swim  and 
boat  to  our  heart's  content;  have  little  to  do  but  fan  ourselves 
and  smoke  good  cigars,  and  you  are  not  satisfied.  You  wish 
to  be  on  the  go.  You  want  excitement,  and  danger,  and  bul- 
let-holes in  your  bread-basket.     Byron  .says, 

"  '  The  path  of  glory  leads  but  to  the  grave.' 

Why  can't  you  be  content  and  settle  down  to  steady  habits?" 
"  I  don't  know,  old  man.  '  What's  bred  in  the  bone  — '  " 
"  What  are  you  gentlemen  doing  with  Brenneman's  coon  on 

deck  in  the  nigiit  watches?"  asked  Mr.  Felton. 

"  Letting  him   tear  our  trou.sers  to   keep   us  awake,  sir," 

answered  Blo.ss. 
"Does  l.e  bite?" 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE   WAR.  191 

"  Well,  I  should  say  he  did.  Zip  is  not  vicious,  but  he  is 
the  most  persistent  little  rascal  you  ever  saw.  He  will  jump 
at  you  and  chew  your  shoestrings  and  clothes  every  time  you 
poke  a  foot  at  him.  If  it  were  not  for  him,  I  don't  know 
how  we  could  keep  awake  these  warm  nights." 

"  He  ought  to  be  promoted  to  midshipman  then,  as  the 
chief  service  of  a  middy  on  watch  is  to  keep  the  deck-officer 
awake." 

"They  had  a  lively  time  in  the  starboard  steerage  to-day," 
said  Careswell.  "  The  gentlemen  put  Zip  and  one  of  the  cap- 
tain's roosters  in  there  and  laid  wagers  as  to  which  would 
whip.  It  was  a  good  fight,  but  Zip  chewed  his  opponent's 
head  off  in  about  fifteen  minutes.  They  are  a  queer  lot  in 
there  and  indulge  in  much  chaff. 

"  *  I'll  bet  a  broadside  of  grog  on  Zip,'  said  Cozzens. 

"  '  Whiskey  is  dead,'  answered  Hanson. 

"  'The  mourners  are  sincere,'  observed  Edgewood. 

"  '  I  must  tell  Jan^  about  this,'  said  Webster. 

"  '  Who's  Jane?'  I  asked. 

" '  Oh,  she's  my  Dulce,  my  Future.     Jane  and  I  are  en- 


No  fellow  has  a  right  to  be  engaged  till  he  can  raise  a 
moustache,'  said  White. 

'"  May  you  never  know  the  sorrow  of  an  unthrifty  whis- 
ker,' answered  Webster  sadly. 

" '  White  has  been  eating  peanuts  to  make  his  voice  short,' 
observed  Cozzens. 

"  '  Go  in  Zip  !'  yelled  his  backers. 

"'Give  it  to  him  Shanghai!'  cried  the  opponents. 

"'  Who  wouldn't  be  a  soldier  laddie?'  asked  Gardner. 

'"I  wouldn't,'  answered  Cozzens. 

"  '  Why  not,  my  salt-water  sonny  ?' 

"  '  Don't  like  the  pay  and  jirospects.' 

"  '  Pay  is  good  and  promotion  rapid.' 

"  '  Yes,  thirteen  dollars  and  found.  Found  with  your  head 
off  in  the  morning.' 

"  '  Oh,  go  away;  that's  too  sanguinary.' 

"  '  Why  didn't  you  invite  the  captain  in  ?'  I  asked. 

'"Oh,  he'd  take  too  much  interest  in  the  affair.' 

"  '  This  being  captain,  sitting  alone  in  regal  state  and  having 


1.92  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

nobody  but  the  servants  to  talk  with,  is  not  much  comfort.  I 
have  no  doubt  he  would  enjoy  the  sport,'  said  I. 

"'Perhaps.     Don't  you  tell  him,  Mr.  Careswell.' 

*"Of  course  not,'  I  answered." 

"  What  did  they  do  with  the  rooster?"  asked  Felton. 

"Pushed  him  out  the  dead-light.  They  said  the  captain 
might  see  him  floating  away  and  think  he  had  been  drowned, 
but  probably  would  never  miss  him." 

"How  did  they  get  him?" 

"  Bought  him  from  the  captain's  steward  for  a  dollar. 
Don't  you  tell  the  captain,  Mr.  Felton." 

"  Xot  I ;  I've  been  in  the  steerage  myself,  but  I  must  keep 
an  eye  on  that  steward." 

"  Short,  spirited  drills  are  to  be  encouraged,"  says  the  Naval 
Manual,  but  the  executive  generally  forgot  the  advice  and 
made  them  long  and  exhausting.  The  principal  drill  of  a 
man-of-war,  and  the  one  in  which  everybody  took  the  most 
interest,  was  General  Quarters.  This  included  many  of  the 
other  exercises,  and  the  men  had  been  brought  to  a  rare  degree 
of  perfection  in  performing  their  duties.  The  captain  loved 
surprises  and  did  not  always  inform  Mr.  Felton  what  he 
wished  to  do.  Everybody  except  the  watch  on  deck  was  fast 
asleep  one  night,  when  at  midnight  the  drum  and  fife  called 
to  quarters.  The  officers  sprang  into  their  clothes,  thinking 
an  enemy  was  at  hand,  grasped  their  side-arms  and  l)uckled 
their  belt-*,  as  they  hastened  to  their  stations,  where  the  men 
were  already  gathering.  The  ship's  company  went  through 
the  following  drill :  the  battery  was  cast  loose;  the  guns  were 
loaded  and  fired  rapidly  ;  the  pivot  guns  were  pivoted  to  star- 
board and  port ;  disabled  guns  were  removed  and  replaced  by 
others;  wounded  men  were  taken  to  the  cockpit  on  stretchers; 
fires  were  extinguished;  boarders  were  repelled,  and  boarders 
rushed  over  the  rail  with  pistols,  cutlasses  and  pikes;  the 
sharpshooters  and  marines  kept  up  a  rattling  fire;  spars  were 
fished;  shot-holes  were  plugged;  the  pumps  were  manned; 
the  cable  was  slipped  ;  sails  were  loosed,  trimmed  and  furled; 
tacking  and  wearing  ship  were  accomplished  ;  a  train  was  laid 
to  blow  up  the  magazine,  and  the  ship  was  abandoned  in  the 
boats. 

The  whole  drill  occupied  an  hour  and  a  half,  and  the  exer- 


A    KAVAL  STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  103 

cise  of  firing  seventeen  shell  to  a  gun  was  performed  in  fifteen 
minutes.  The  night  was  cool  and  pleasant ;  every  one  entered 
into  the  spirit  of  the  occasion  and  did  his  best  work,  and  the 
officers  were  highly  pleased  with  the  result.  If  there  had  been 
an  enemy  about,  he  would  have  fared  badly. 

"Up  all  bags!"  shouted  the  boatswain's  mate  one  forenoon, 
and  the  spar  deck  was  soon  covered  with  men,  each  one  having 
his  long,  black,  numbered  bag  with  him.  The  master-at-arms 
was  ordered  to  search  each  bag  for  a  pair  of  shoes  that  had 
been  stolen  from  one  of  the  cooks. 

A  sailor's  bag  is  his  dressing-case,  tool-chest,  bureau  and 
trunk  all  together.  He  keeps  in  it  everything  that  belongs  to 
him  except  his  bedding,  which  is  slung  up  in  his  hammock  at 
night,  and  lashed  up  and  stowed  in  the  netting  during  the 
day. 

The  master-at-arms  made  every  man  empty  his  bag  and  ex- 
hibit his  shoes.  The  missing  ones  were  found  at  last  in  the 
possession  of  a  man  named  Pennock,  who  boasted  of  having 
been  many  years  in  one  of  the  merchant  ships  of  the  famous 
Black  Ball  lino,  running  between  New  York  and  Liverpool. 
He  was  a  lazy,  sulky  fellow,  who  had  made  considerable 
trouble  already  in  the  ship,  and  had  been  several  times  in 
double-irons,  on  bread  and  water,  for  various  offences. 

He  was  brought  to  the  mainmast  by  the  master-at-arms,  and 
Mr.  Felton  asked  for  an  explanation.  He  said  tiie  shoes  be- 
longed to  him,  and  he  had  received  them  from  the  paymaster 
the  previous  month.  The  paymaster  examined  the  books  and 
reported  that  he  had  not  delivered  them.  The  man  affirmed 
the  truth  of  his  statement  with  several  oaths  and  much  loud 
talk.  Mr.  Felton  ordered  him  to  be  quiet,  and  the  master-at- 
arms  took  hold  of  his  arm,  when  he  sprang  at  him  and  knocked 
him  down.  Several  men  were  calleil,  who  assisted  the  master- 
at-arms  to  put  him  in  irons  and  take  him  below  to  the  brig. 
Some  days  afterwards,  five  of  the  wardroom  officers  were  or- 
dered by  the  captain  on  a  court-martial  for  his  trial.  The 
specifications  were,  theft,  insubordination,  and  mutinous  con- 
duct towards  his  superior  officers.  The  court  was  held  in  the 
wardroom  during  the  forenoon  ;  the  evidence  for  and  against 
the  prisoner  was  presented  and  considered  carefully ;  a  verdict 
of  guilty  was  rendered,  and  a  sentence  to  one  month's  confine- 


194  CRUISING    AND   BLOCKADING. 

ment  in  donble-ironp,  in  the  brig,  upon  bread  and  water,  and 
loss  of  pay  for  the  time,  was  pronounced.  The  prisoner  said 
nothing,  but  scowled  his  hatred  ;  he  was  conducted  below,  and 
a  marine  was  posted  before  the  grating  of  the  brig  to  keep 
watch  over  him,  and  see  that  the  sentence  was  properly  exe- 
cuted. When  he  was  released  at  the  expiration  of  a  month, 
he  was  delicate  and  white,  and  was  ever  afterwards  a  respect- 
ful, obedient  and  efficient  seaman. 

An  unstimulating  beverage  and  vegetable  diet,  taken  with 
manacUd  hands  in  the  narrow  confines  of  the  brig,  have  a 
wonderful  influence  upcm  hot  blood  and  a  rebellious  spirit,  and 
are  a  much  more  humane  and  effective  punishment,  than  tricing 
up  in  tlic  rigging  or  the  application  of  a  cat-o'-nine-tails. 

Minor  oflences  in  the  navy  were  punished  by  setting  the 
culprit  to  walking  the  deck  with  a  handspike  or  a  heavy  shot, 
sending  him  up  aloft,  putting  him  astride  a  boom  or  yard, 
giving  him  extra  duty,  or  reducing  his  rating  and  pay.  Se- 
rious oftences  were  atoned  by  confinement  in  the  brig,  single 
or  double-irons,  and  restricted  diet.  Very  grave  offences 
brought  imprisonment  in  a  penitentiary,  or  death  by  shooting 
or  hanging  at  the  yard-arm.  It  speaks  well  for  the  esjyrit  de 
corps  of  the  United  States  Navy,  that  grave  offences  were 
almost  unknown  in  it,  during  the  entire  period  of  the  war  of 
the  rebellion. 

All  over  the  sandy  islands  of  the  west  coast  of  Florida  the 
gophers  were  numerous,  and  had  as  many  holes  to  run  into  as 
the  blockade-runners.  The  most  successful  way  to  secure 
them  was,  not  to  seek  them  through  the  weeds  and  underbrush, 
but  to  hunt  their  holes  and  close  them  up.  When  a  certain 
area  had  its  holes  blocked,  a  drive  was  organized  and  the 
clumsy  walkers  were  taken  before  their  own  doors.  The  offi- 
cers and  men  were  always  eager  for  a  gopher  hunt  and  often 
secured  forty  or  fifty  in  an  afternoon.  Terrapin  stew  is  the 
delight  of  the  gourmand  at  the  North  and  is  certainly  a  most 
delicious  food  anywhere. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   I.ATE    WAR.  195 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Rumor  had  reached  the  Nautilus  by  several  visiting  men- 
of-war  that  she  was  soon  to  be  relieved.  Blockade-running 
upon  the  station  had  ceased ;  the  regulators  along  the  river 
banks  had  withdrawn  inland  ;  the  sports  of  the  region  had 
become  tiresome;  the  gophers  were  fewer;  the  curlew  and 
snipe  were  wilder ;  the  deer  had  been  frightened  away  by 
target  firing  with  heavy  guns;  the  alligators  had  learned  to 
drop  their  noses  beneath  the  water  whenever  they  heard  the 
rhythm  of  oars,  and  everybody  was  weary  of  watching  when 
there  was  nobody  to  watch,  and  desirous  of  leaving  the  peace- 
ful scenes  for  more  active  service.  It  was  just  when  everyone 
was  so  tired  of  the  monotony  that  he  would  have  engaged  in 
the  most  desperate  undertaking  for  a  change,  and  when  the 
long  separation  from  loved  ones  had  begun  to  make  the  heart 
ache  with  ceaseless  longings,  that  the  whole  ship's  company 
was  excited  by  the  aj)pearance  of  a  bark  in  the  offing.  She 
came  boldly  into  the  harbor  with  all  of  her  sails  spread  and 
shining  in  the  sunlight,  flying  her  signal  number,  the  long 
pennant,  and  the  starry  flag,  and  dropped  anchor  a  few  cable's 
lengths  from  the  Nautilus. 

It  was  the  U.  S.  S.  R ,  carrying  eight  long  32-pounders, 

two  24-pounder  howitzers,  and  a  .30-pounder  Parrott.  Her 
captain  came  on  board  and  was  received  at  the  gangway  by 
Capt.  Prescott,  Mr.  Felton  and  the  officer-of-the-deck,  and 
conducted  to  the  cabin,  where  there  was  a  long  conversation 
over  a  bottle  of  sherry  and  sundry  dispatches  from  the  admi- 
ral. The  good  news  soon  spread  through  the  ship  that  the 
vessel  had  come  to  relieve  the  Nautilus,  which  was  ordered  to 
Key  West  and  was  there  to  prepare  to  go  North.  Its  effect 
upon  everybody,  from  the  captain  to  the  smallest  powder- 
monkey  in  the  ship,  was  remarkable.  It  seemed  as  if  all 
hands  had  just  been  let  out  of  a  minstrel  show.  There  was 
lively  movement,  animated  conversation,  much  joking  and 
general    hilarity.     Every  one   felt  a   kindlier  interest  in  his 


196  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

pliipmates,  and  all  rejoieed  at  the  prospect  of  speedy  departure. 
In  the  evening  the  sailors  danced,  sang  and  played  instru- 
mental music  till  ten  o'clock,  and  the  officers  cracked  several 
bottles  of  wine  with  their  visitors  and  smoked  and  talked  till 
midnight. 

The  next  day  the  Nautilus  was  prepared  for  sea,  and,  the 
following  day  when  the  tide  served,  she  steamed  gaily  out 
of  the  harbor  with  her  flags  flying,  receiving  and  giving 
cheer  after  cheer  till  she  was  beyond  hearing  distance.  The 
run  to  Key  West  was  made  without  notable  incident,  and,  the 
next  afternoon,  she  came  to  anchor  under  the  guns  of  Fort 
Taylor.  Captain  Prescott  made  his  official  visit  to  the  admi- 
ral and  returned  with  a  confirmation  of  the  report  that  the 
Nautilus  was  ordered  home.  Active  preparation  of  the  vessel 
for  the  voyage  was  made;  the  bunkers  were  filled  with  coal; 
the  water  casks  were  emptied  and  filled  ;  the  stores  were  re- 
plenished, and  some  of  the  officers  and  men  were  allowed  a 
run  on  shore  every  afternoon  and  evening. 

The  officers  were  received  by  their  army  and  civilian  friends 
with  the  greatest  cordiality,  and  it  seemed  almost  like  getting 
home  again  to  meet  old  acquaintances  with  whom  so  many 
pleasant  hours  had  been  whiled  away. 

Key  West  had  received  a  large  accession  of  citizens  during 
the  period  the  Nautilus  had  been  up  the  coast,  and  business 
was  flourishing  and  social  life  very  gay. 

The  officers  of  the  Nautilus  had  wished  for  some  time  to 
make  a  worthy  acknowledgment  of  the  kind  attentions  they 
had  received  on  shore,  and,  after  much  discussion,  it  was  de- 
cided to  give  a  party  on  board  of  the  ship.  Captain  Prescott 
gave  his  permission  cheerfully ;  Mr.  Felton  promised  to  do  all 
in  his  power,  and  a  committee  on  refreshments  was  given  carte 
hlanehe  to  provide  the  good  things.  The  steerage  officers  sub- 
mitted the  names  of  the  friends  they  desired  to  invite;  the 
wardroom  officers  revised  and  approved  a  list,  and  the  pay- 
master wrote  the  invitations  and  sent  them  ashore.  The  event 
was  fixed  for  Thursday  evening,  and  the  announcement  made 
a  great  sensation  in  society  circles  on  the  Key. 

Preparations  were  commenced  the  next  morning,  and  the 
whole  crew  was  employed  in  beautifying  the  ship.  The  paint 
was  scrubbed  clean  and  touched  up  here  and  there ;  the  brass- 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  197 

Avork  was  scoured  bright;  the  guns  and  arms  received  a  care- 
ful overhauling;  the  decks  were  holystoned  clean  and  white; 
the  awnings  were  spread  over  the  quarter-deck;  the  running 
gear  was  coiled  and  flaked  in  fancy  figures;  the  dishes  were 
arranged  with  care ;  the  silver  plate  was  given  an  extra  bur- 
nish ;  the  rooms  were  all  put  in  good  order ;  colored  and  battle 
lanterns  were  hung  all  about  the  rails  and  rigging;  signals  and 
the  flags  of  all  nations  were  draped  about  the  gangways  and 
steps,  and  large  flags  se{)arated  the  quarter-deck  from  the  for- 
ward part  of  the  ship.  A  place  between  two  guns  was  then 
set  apart  for  the  musicians ;  the  starboard  steerage  was  ar- 
ranged for  the  gentlemen's  dressing-room;  the  captain  gave 
up  his  cabin  for  the  ladies;  the  wardroom  was  devoted  to  the 
refreshments ;  the  boats  were  cushioned  and  carpeted  to  bring  off 
the  people  from  shore, and  all  hands  were  dressed  in  full  uniform. 

The  guests  from  the  ships  and  the  shore  began  to  arrive  at 
7  o'clock,  and  the  quarter-deck  was  soon  covered  with  a  merry 
party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen.  There  was  great  curiosity  to 
see  all  parts  of  the  ship,  and  groups  of  visitors  were  conducted 
around  by  the  officers,  who  answered  all  the  questions,  entered 
into  elaborate  descriptions,  and  displayed  their  familiarity  with 
naval  technology. 

A  lady  said  the  figure-head  was  so  named  because  it  was 
placed  ahead,  and  the  cutwater  was  not  sharp  enough  to  cut 
anything.  Another  knew  there  was  a  cat-o'-nine-tails  for 
whipping  sailors,  and  asked,  if  the  catheads  upon  the  forecastle 
belonged  to  cats  that  had  nine  tails.  Some  could  not  see  the 
sense  of  calling  the  forward  deck  the  forecastle,  as  there  was 
no  castle  there,  and  observed  if  it  had  been  made  level,  the 
pivot  gun  could  have  been  moved  around  easier.  Others  thought 
the  brig  was  a  chicken-coop,  and  were  much  surprised  to  learn 
that  it  was  a  prison  ;  the  apothecary's  room  was  too  small,  and 
the  sick-bay  did  not  resemble  a  bay  at  all ;  it  was  too  bad  to 
make  the  sailors  hang  up  under  the  deck  to  the  iron  hooks; 
the  magazine  was  too  far  away  from  the  guns,  making  too 
hard  work  for  the  poor,  little  powder-monkeys;  the  galley 
was  the  biggest  stove  they  had  ever  seen,  and  the  kettles  were 
large  enough  for  a  sugar-house;  the  engine  was  awfully  com- 
plicated, and  the  fire-room  was  a  dreadful  place  to  work  in ; 
the  guns  were  much  better  than  those  on  the  fort,  but  they 


198  CRUISING   AND    BLOCKADING. 

must  split  the  ears  when  fired ;  the  state-rooms  were  very  cosy, 
and  the  officers  must  be  dreadful  flirts,  if  the  pictures  upon 
the  walls  were  all  sweethearts;  the  cabin  was  too  pretty  for 
anything,  and  even  women  might  go  to  sea  in  such  elegant 
apartments. 

Such  innocent  observations  were  heard  upon  every  side,  and 
the  old  salts,  who  were  standing  around  with  their  caps  in 
their  hands,  smiled  secretly  and  shifted  their  quids  in  silent 
derision.  It  was  as  amusing  to  listen  to  the  chatter  of  the 
land-lubbers,  as  it  was  interesting  to  them  to  learn  the  object 
and  use  of  everything  that  attracted  their  attention. 

"Why  do  you  call  that  semi-circular  thing  up  there  the 
top?"  asked  Mrs.  Dr.  Edwards. 

"  It  is  near  the  top  of  the  mast,"  replied  Mr.  Bloss. 

"  But  the  top  of  the  mast  is  away  up  there." 

"  No,  that  is  called  the  truck." 

"  Does  anybody  ever  go  up  there?" 

"Certainly;  the  pole  must  be  painted,  and  sometimes  the 
halyards  must  be  rove.  The  ship's  boys  often  climb  up  and 
hang  their  caps  over  it  for  fun  and  to  see  who  can  do  it  the 
quickest." 

"  Is  it  possible!     It  looks  very  dangerous." 

"Do  you  keep  all  the  powder  and  shell  in  the  great  maga- 
zine?" asked  Mrs.  Fortescue  of  Lieut.  Ashton. 

"No;  there  is  a  smaller  magazine  under  the  wardroom  for 
these  howitzers,"  was  the  reply. 

"  Isn't  it  dangerous  to  have  powder  so  near  the  stove?" 

"  No;  the  fires  are  all  put  out  before  the  magazine  is  opened. 
The  men  in  the  magazine  wear  canvas  slippers  without  nails, 
and  have  no  metal  about  their  persons,  not  even  a  button." 

"  Do  you  officers  have  any  stoves  in  the  winter?" 

"No;  they  are  not  allowed." 

"  How  do  you  keep  warm  when  you  are  in  a  cold  climate?" 

"  We  heat  a  solid  shot  in  the  furnaces  and  keep  it  in  a  tub  of 
sand.  It  throws  out  heat  for  a  long  time  and  warms  the 
rooms  well  enough." 

"  That's  a  queer  way.  Suppose  the  ship  should  get  on  fire, 
with  all  this  powder  aboard,  what  would  you  do?" 

"  Put  the  fire  out." 

"  Suppose  you  couldn't  ?" 


A    NAVAL,   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR.  190 

"  We  would  flood  tlie  magazine  with  water.  There  are 
stop-cocks  outside  to  turn  water  into  them." 

"  Wouldn't  it  be  dangerous,  with  so  many  loaded  shell?" 

"  Yes,  rather ;  but  the  fire  would  probably  drive  us  into  the 
boats  before  it  had  reached  the  magazine." 

"  Do  your  men  cook  nice  things?"  inquired  Miss  Peterson 
of  the  paymaster. 

"  Of  course.  Do  you  think  we  live  on  salt-horse  and  hard- 
tack ?" 

"  No;  but  you  have  so  many  to  cook  for  and  so  little  room, 
I  thought  you  couldn't  have  pies  and  cakes  and  such  things." 

"Well,  we  do;  we  have  lots  of  them.  I  am  caterer,  and 
I  would  be  keel-hauled,  if  the  stewards  did  not  supply  our 
aristocratic  crowd  with  regular  desserts." 

"  Keel-hauled  ?     What  is  that  ?" 

"  Dragged  along  under  tlie  ship's  bottom — a  nautical  way 
of  drowning  a  man  for  punishment." 

"  How  terrible  !" 

"  Pay.  has  charge  of  the  tea-kettle  halyards,"  observed  San- 
born, laughing. 

"Oh,  belay  your  jaw-tackle,"  answered  the  paymaster. 

"How  do  you  load  one  of  these  guns,  Mr.  Careswell?"  asked 
Madam  Foutana. 

"  Two  midshipmen  and  a  master's  mate, 
Two  round  shot  and  a  stand  of  grape ; 
Ram  home  the  charge," 

was  the  reply. 

"A  pretty  heavy  charge  that,  Careswell,"  observed  Col. 
Gordon.  "  I  would  rather  stand  before  the  gun,  than  behind 
it,  in  such  a  case." 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  That  is  only  some  of  the  Lieutenant's  non- 
sense ;  he  likes  to  tease  me,"  said  Madam. 

"  Do  you  ever  allow  shore  people  to  see  you  drill?"  asked 
Mrs.  Loudon  of  Captain  Prescott. 

"  Not  often ;  they  would  be  in  the  way,"  was  the  reply. 

"Oh,  I  should  so  like  to  see  the  sailors  work  the  guns." 

"Would  you?  Well,  wait  awhile,"  said  the  captain  sig- 
nificantly. 

The  men  composing  the  band  had  taken  their  places  be- 
tween the  guns  and  now  commenced  to  play  a  quadrille,  and 


200  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

tlie  gentlemen  and  ladies  formed  sets  and  danced  for  some 
time.  Then  two  of  the  sailors  danced  a  hornpipe  in  the  gang- 
way, and,  afterwards,  several  of  the  men  danced  singly  a  great 
variety  of  peculiar  steps,  which  excited  the  admiration  and 
apj)lause  of  the  visitors.  Then  there  were  more  dances  by  the 
guests  and  officers,  interspersed  with  instrumental  solos  and 
nautical  songs  by  the  sailors,  followed  by  a  march  around  the 
deck,  pensive  watching  of  the  waves  through  the  gun-ports, 
enthusiastic  study  of  the  constellations  through  the  spy- 
glasses, and  romantic  tete-a-tetes,  sitting  upon  the  gun-car- 
riages. 

The  discipline  of  the  ship  was  still  maintained;  men  were 
on  watch  as  usual ;  lookouts  and  marines  were  stationed  ;  Mr. 
Sanborn  was  in  charge  of  the  deck,  and  the  bells  were  struck 
regularly.  This  continuanceof  order  enhanced  the  interest  of 
the  shore  people,  and  they  were  much  pleased  to  see  ham- 
mocks piped  down,  and  the  men  take  their  snugly-lashed  rolls 
of  bedding  from  the  netting  and  march  below. 

Supper  was  announced  at  10  o'clock,  and  the  wardroom 
and  cabin  were  filled  with  guests  and  their  attendants.  The 
paymaster  took  charge  of  the  table  and  the  stewards  and 
waiters  distributed  the  ^bountiftd  repast.  The  handsome 
dresses  of  the  ladies,  the  plain  suits  of  the  civilians,  and  the 
showy,  gold-ornamented  uniforms  of  the  army  and  navy  offi- 
cers, formed  striking  contrasts  in  colors,  which  were  heightened 
and  beautified  by  the  green,  blue  and  red  signal  lanterns  that 
illuminated  the  scene.  '  It  is  little  that  makes  the  glad  laugh,' 
and  witty  speeches,  happy  repartees,  and  short  stories,  caused 
merry  laughter,  that  awoke  the  solemn  echoes  of  the  broad- 
sides and  went  rippling  from  gun  to  gun  to  the  forward  part 
of  the  ship. 

The  band  upon  deck  played  appropriate  selections  from  its 
naval  repertoire ;  several  of  the  ladies  sang  solos  and  duets  to 
guitar  accompaniments,  and  some  of  the  gentlemen  repeated 
humorous,  sentimental  and  declamatory  pieces  of  poetry. 

The  event  of  the  evening  was  the  singing  of  "  Ave  Maria" 
by  Miss  Laura.  Madam  Fontana  had  been  talking  to  her 
earnestly  and,  assisted  by  Careswell,  had  gained  her  consent  to 
favor  the  company.  She  took  up  the  guitar  and  swept  her 
fingers  rapidly  over  the  strings.     Her  expression  had  been  one 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   WAR.  201 

of  timid  reserve,  but  now  it  became  sad,  her  eyes  seemed  to 
look  far  away,  her  head  was  thrown  slightly  back,  her  lips 
parted,  and  the  full  rich  tones  of  her  voice  filled  the  listeners 
with  such  emotion,  that  they  could  hear  nothing  but  their  own 
heart  throbs  and  the  delicious  harmony. 

When  the  last  sweet  tone  had  ended  and  the  tinkle  of  the 
guitar  was  stilled,  a  storm  of  applause  arose  that  filled  the 
ship,  the  captain  said  it  was  the  finest  song  he  had  ever  heard, 
and  everybody  crowded  around  and  offered  thanks  and  praises. 
Laura  was  urged  to  sing  something  else,  but  her  feelings  were 
too  profoundly  stirred,  her  mind  was  too  full  of  busy  thought. 
She  yielded  to  the  clamor,  however,  and  played  an  exquisite 
fantasie  upon  the  guitar  which  w'as  heartily  applauded,  and 
then  busied  herself  looking  over  an  album  of  photographs, 
seeking  to  withdraw  from  the  conspicuous  position  in  which 
her  musical  talent  had  placed  her. 

Toasts  were  drunk  in  sherry  and  champagne,  pretty  compli- 
ments were  passed  between  the  guests  and  their  hosts,  the  cap- 
tain and  lieutenant-commander  excused  themselves  and  went 
upon  deck,  and  the  ladies  began  to  think  it  was  time  to  de- 
part, when  suddenly  the  sharp  whistle  of  the  fife  and  the  rattle 
of  the  drum  shocked  the  night  air  and  spread  consternation 
below. 

"  Jt  is  a  call  to  General  Quarters,"  said  the  paymaster ;  " you 
had  better  all  go  up  and  see  the  manoeuvers." 

The  visitors  were  escorted  upon  deck ;  the  officers  of  the  ship 
seized  their  arms  and  hastened  to  their  posts ;  the  men  rushed 
to  their  stations;  the  battery  was  cast  loose,  and  the  motions  of 
loading  and  firing,  transporting  guns,  boarding  and  repelling 
boarders,  putting  out  fire  and  handling  the  sails,  were  per- 
formed with  precision  and  rajiidity,  while  the  guests  looked 
on  with  astonishment  and  pleasure,  receiving  explanations 
from  the  naval  officers  belonging  to  the  other  vessels.  Then 
rockets  were  sent  up;  different  colored  Coston  signals  were 
burned,  in  communicating  with  the  other  ships,  which  an- 
swered in  the  same  way,  and,  lastly,  while  the  ladies  were  in- 
tently watching  the  fire-works  and  the  whole  harbor  was 
illuminated,  one  of  the  quarter-deck  howitzers  was  discharged. 
It  was  so  unexpected  and  so  near,  that  the  ladies  shrank  into 
a  .compact  crowd  and  uttered  cries  of  alarm,  and  then  asked 


202  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

tlieir  attenclants  if  the  magazine  had  exploded  or  what  was 
the  matter.  They  soon  saw  and  learned  the  cause  of  their 
fright,  and  feeling  ashamed  of  their  timidity,  laughed  hysteri- 
cally and  chatted  with  more  volubility  than  ever.  The  bat- 
tery was  secured  ;  the  music  sounded  the  Retreat;  the  officers 
clustered  around  ;  the  captain  asked  Mrs.  Loudon  with  a  sly 
smile  how  she  liked  the  drill,  and  the  visitors  were  profuse  in 
their  thanks  to  him  for  the  fine  exhibition  that  he  had  afforded 
tiiem.  Then  the  boats  were  called  away ;  good  nights  were 
said,  and  the  precious  freight  was  taken  ashore  safely  just  as 
eight-bells,  midnight,  struck.  Never  had  a  naval  vessel  given 
so  generous  a  party.  Never  had  the  people  of  Key  West  en- 
joyed themselves  so  much. 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE   LATE    WAR.  203 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

The  next  few  days  tlie  officers  remained  ahoard  ship  getting 
lier  ready  for  sea,  and  receiving  flowers,  fruit,  notes  and  fare- 
well visits  from  their  many  friends.  Then  a  day  or  two  was 
devoted  to  leave-taking  ashore,  and  one  evening  tiie  captain 
announced  that  the  Nautilus  would  sail  for  New  York  the 
next  day. 

In  the  morning  some  discharged  men  were  received  as  pas- 
sengers, the  boats  were  hoisted  up,  numerous  signals  were 
made  with  the  vessels  of  the  squadron,  the  anchor  was  weighed 
and  catted,  and  the  good  ship  turned  her  bow  seaward. 

As  she  steamed  slowly  out  of  the  harbor,  the  fl:ig  of  Fort  Tay- 
lor was  dipped,  the  crews  upon  the  men-of-war  cheered,  and  a 
crowd  of  people  along  the  shore  waved  handkerchiefs,  hats  and 
umbrellas.  The  happy  men  of  the  Nautilus  responded  to 
these  tokens  of  regard  by  lusty  cheers  and  swinging  their  caps, 
and  a  group  of  officers  upon  tlie  midshipman's  deck  shook 
their  handkerchiefs  and  watched  their  friends  with  glasses. 

As  soon  as  the  Nautilus  was  fairly  at  sea,  the  sails  were  set 
and  the  fires  banked,  the  screw  was  hoisted  up,  a  lookout  was 
sent  up  into  the  fore-topmast  cross-trees,  and  everything  was 
made  snug. 

Three  strange  looking  objects  were  seen  ahead  during  the 
afternoon,  which  upon  close  acquaintance  proved  to  be  water- 
spouts. Their  summits  were  enveloped  in  storm  clouds,  their 
bases  in  cones  of  foam,  and  the  great  columns  of  water  tui'ned 
and  twisted  and  swayed  about  like  monstrous  j)ythons  in 
agony.  They  approached  the  ship  for  awhile,  and  a  gun  was 
cast  loose  and  loaded  with  solid  shot  to  fire  at  them  should 
they  come  too  near,  but  the  precaution  was  needless,  as  the 
cyclones  soon  lost  their  force,  the  upper  parts  of  the  water- 
spouts were  drawn  up  into  the  clouds,  and  the  lower  cones  set- 
tled down  to  the  sea  level  in  great  masses  of  foam. 

The  Nautilus  was  homeward  bound,  and  the  knowledge 
sent  a  thrill  of  gladness  through  the  crew,  which  far  surpassed 


204  ^  CRUISING    AND    BLOCKADING. 

tliat  occasioned  by  a  double  allowance  of  grog  or  the  capture 
of  a  valuable  prize, 

"  Home,  whispered  in  some  foreign  scene, 
Sweetly  it  falls  upon  the  ear; 
Like  fairj'  visions  that  Iiave  been, 
Or  mournful  music  floating  near." 

As  a  general  thing  Jack  Tar  does  not  care  much  where  he 
is,  provided  he  has  plenty  of  money  and  a  free  run  ashore, 
thougii  he  has  a  preference  for  a  seaport  in  his  own  country. 
Many  of  the  sailors  of  the  Nautilus  were  ditferent,  however, 
from  the  usual  type.  They  had  homes  by  the  rivers,  around 
the  great  lakes,  and  in  the  smaller  places  upon  the  coast,  apd 
had  left  them  to  fight  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union.  Now 
they  were  going  home,  intending  to  resume  the  occupations 
from  which  they  had  been  driven  by  necessity  and  patriotism, 
and  their  iiopes  and  anticipations  made  them  active  in  their 
duiies  and  merry  in  their  pastimes.  Every  evening  there  was 
music  and  dancing;  the  officers  sat  about  the  deck  listening 
and  looking  on,  and  all  planned  what  they  would  do  when  the 
ship  went  out  of  commission. 

The  Nautilus  was  kept  under  sail  when  the  wind  was  favor- 
able, and  under  steam  wlien  unfavorable,  and,  aided  by  the 
current  of  the  Gulf  Stream,  made  north  latitude  rapidly. 
There  was  little  to  break  the  monotony  of  the  homeward  pas- 
sage, and  it  seemed  interminably  long  to  everybody.  Occa- 
sionally some  merchant  vessel  would  be  overhauled  and 
boarded,  only  to  find  that  she  belonged  to  a  neutral  power  or 
the  United  States,  and  a  cruiser  or  blockader  would  chase 
and  challenge  the  Nautilus  to  give  an  account  of  herself, 
then  bring  aboard  a  bag  of  letters  for  home  and  wish  her 
"  bon  voyage." 

The  Sunday  inspection  was  rigid,  that  a  good  appearance 
might  be  presented  in  port,  but  the  long  service  and  the  sea 
air  had  made  the  uniforms  look  seedy  and  taken  the  shine 
off  of  the  buttons  and  gold  lace  of  the  officer's  coats.  It 
was  apparent  to  even  a  casual  observer  that  all  were  veterans. 
At  9  A.M.,  the  ship  was  as  clean  as  a  new  pin,  and  word  was 
passed,  "All  hands  to  mu.ster!"  The  officers  formed  a  line 
on  the  starboard  side  of  the  quarter-deck,  the  marines  on  the 


A    NAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE    WAR  205 

j)ort,  and  the  sailors  gathered  in  the  port  waist.  The  execu- 
tive read  some  of  the  Articles  of  War,  and  the  paymaster,  se- 
lections from  the  Episcopal  Prayer  Book.  The  |)aymaster's 
clerk  then  called  the  roll,  and  each  sailor  passed  around  the 
mainmast  to  the  starboard  side  and  forward,  under  the  critical 
eyes  of  the  captain  and  executive.  The  marines  and  officers 
answered  to  their  names  and  were  inspected  and  all  were  dis- 
missed. The  captain  and  executive  then  examined  the  ship 
from  stem  to  stern,  alow  and  aloft. 

Sunday  in  the  service  is  an  off  day  after  inspection  ;  there 
is  little  ship's  work  done,  and  the  sailors  get  up  their  bags, 
overhaul  and  repair  clothes,  read,  write,  and  spin  yarns  all 
day.  The  officers  read,  write,  talk,  smoke  and  get  extra  sleep. 
This  is  the  manner  of  observing  the  fourth  commandment  in 
the  U.  S.  Navy. 

A  New  York  pilot-boat  was  spoken  Monday  morning;  a 
l>ilot  with  a  pocket  full  of  newspapers  was  taken  aboard,  and 
the  course  was  shaped  for  Sandy  Hook.  During  the  night, 
the  Highland  Lights  were  made  and  passed,  and  the  Nautilus 
came  to  anchor  before  daylight  off  Staten  Island  Quarantine 
Station. 

When  the  morning  dawned,  all  eyes  and  hearts  were  glad- 
dened by  the  rugged  hills,  the  rich  green  verdure  and  foliage, 
and  the  lovely  forts  and  villas  of  the  Narrows.  A  brief  visit 
was  made  by  the  officers  of  the  port;  the  anchor  was  weighed  ; 
the  ship's  signal  number  was  hoisted ;  the  vessel  proceeded 
slowly  up  the  magnificent  harbor,  and  came  to  anchor  off  the 
Brooklyn  Navy  Yard. 

How  indescribable  the  feelings  of  a  wanderer  upon  his 
arrival  in  his  native  land  !  How  the  hearts  of  these  heroes  of 
the  war  swelled  with  emotion  and  pride,  when  they  thought 
of  the  perils  they  had  passed  and  of  the  glory  of  their  common 
country.  No  one  can  have  a  proper  conception  of  what  love 
of  country  is,  and  how  much  he  has  of  it,  until  he  has  been 
abroad  awhile. 

The  Nautilus  was  home  again,  and  all  was  excitement  and 
anxiety  to  get  the  ship's  mail,  and  to  learn  the  latest  news  of 
the  war,  though  some  had  been  gained  from  the  pilot  and  his 
papers.  Everybody  was  desirous  of  stepping  upon  a  shore 
not  pressed  by  traitor's  feet,  and  of  getting  into  the  well  filled 


206  CRUISING   AND   BLOCKADING. 

stores,  where  money  would  bring  its  worth  of  honest  merchan- 
dise, but  there  were  certain  formalities  to  be_  observed  before 
the  prisoners  of  the  sea  could  be  liberated. 

The  gig  was  called  away,  Captain  Prescott  made  his  official 
visit  to  Admiral  Paulding,  and  kindly  brought  the  mail  back 
with  him.  Then  there  was  a  call  to  quarters;  the  broadside 
guns  were  cast  loose,  and  the  customary  admiral's  salute  of 
thirteen  guns  was  fired.  The  discharged  men  were  then  trans- 
ferred to  the  receiving-ship  North  Carolina;  the  sails  were 
loosed,  dried,  unbent  and  stowed  away  below ;  the  gangways 
shipped ;  the  booms  swung  out ;  the  boats  put  overboard ;  the 
awnings  spread;  the  windsails  hoisted  in  the  hatchways;,  the 
yards  squared,  and  all  the  ropes  hauled  taut.  These  duties 
kept  every  one  busy  all  day,  and  the  tired  crew  was  glad  to 
turn  in  early  without  giving  the  usual  musical  entertainment. 

The  next  few  days  tiiere  was  free  communication  with  the 
shore ;  leave  parties  scattered  about  the  two  cities,  gazed  with 
delight  u})on  the  splendors  of  tlie  great  metropolis,  and  tasted 
once  more  the  pleasures  of  nineteenth  century  civilization. 
Orders  came  the  second  week  to  put  the  Nautilus  out  of  com- 
mission preparatory  to  docking  her;  to  transfer  the  crew  to 
the  North  Carolina,  and  for  the  officers  to  await  orders  at  the 
yard. 

All  hands  were  called  to  muster  and  the  captain  made  a 
speech : 

"  Men  of  the  Nautilus. — It  is  with  feelings  of  sadness 
that  I  announce  to  you  the  time  has  come  for  separation.  The 
Nautilus  goes  out  of  commission  to-day.  I  thank  you  for 
your  observance  of  the  regulations  of  the  ship,  and  for  your 
efficiency  and  courage  in  times  of  danger.  You  have  the 
proud  consciousness  of  having  served  your  country  in  her 
need,  and  she  will  reward  you  for  your  patriotism.  I  shall 
always  be  glad  to  hear  of  your  welfare.  And  to  you,  my  offi- 
cers, I  owe  much.  You  have  ably  performed  the  duties  re- 
quired of  you,  and  have  been  industrious,  zealous  and  brave 
throughout  the  cruise.  Such  conduct  will  bring  its  reward  in 
consciousness  of  rectitude  and  in  deserved  promotion.  The 
naval  examining  board  is  in  session.  I  shall  ever  be  ready  to 
advance  your  interests,  and  trust  that  the  ties  of  affection  that 
bind  us  may  never  be  loosened.     Farewell!" 


A    XAVAL   STORY   OF   THE    LATE   W^R.  207 

"Tliree  cheers  for  Captain  Prescott!"  shouted  Mr.  Felton, 
jumping  upon  a  gun-carriage.  The  loud  hurrahs  burst  from 
more  than  a  hundred  lusty  throats  and  swept  across  the  river. 

"Three  cheers  for  the  Nautilus  I"  he  cried,  and  they  were 
given  with  a  will. 

"  Pipe  down  !"  he  said  to  the  boatswain.  The  shrill  whis- 
tles sounded  and  the  men  retired.  At  meridian,  the  flag  and 
pennant  were  hauled  down — the  official  life  of  the  Nautilus 
■was  ended. 

The  ship  was  hauled  alongside  the  dock  and  delivered  to 
the  ship-keej)ers;  the  stores  were  formally  turned  over  to  the 
yard  officials;  the  men  were  sent  to  the  receiving-ship,  and  the 
officers  took  carriages  and  went  to  their  hotels.  A  week  or 
two  later,  some  of  tlie  officers  found  the  Nautilus  a  dismantled, 
disordered  hulk.  The  hatches  were  off  and  the  hull  was 
empty  ;  the  anchurs  and  guns  were  on  the  dock  ;  the  yards  and 
topmasts  were  down,  and  the  rigging  was  lying  about  in  snarls. 
The  ship  was  nearly  ready  to  go  into  the  dry-dock.  The  offi- 
cers were  given  a  month's  leave  and  then  ordered  to  different 
ships.  Careswell  was  promoted  to  lieutenant,  made  another 
cruise,  and  captured  several  valuable  prizes.  The  war  went 
on  furiously  and  every  man  was  needed  upon  the  blockade, 
and  he  was  not  one  to  neglect  his  duty  or  to  remain  inactive, 
but  in  the  lonely  watches  of  the  night  his  thoughts  often  turned 
to  the  little  island  in  the  gulf  and  he  longed  fur  peace. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


Wilmer 
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